David Obey: “I am going to lose big for a number of reasons, I believe. No. 1, the F-22, which I am trying to delay, is largely built…”

“I am going to lose big for a number of reasons, I believe. No. 1, the F-22, which I am trying to delay, is largely built in the home State of the Speaker. Second, there are contracts for this program in 48 States. Under those circumstances, I have infinite confidence in the capacity of this House to make the wrong decision. Nonetheless, I want to urge every single Member, especially those who just voted to keep the B-2, to remember that having just voted to keep the B-2, they have no rational choice if they are serious about retaining the B-2 in the budget. They have no rational choice but to vote to delay the F-22, because if they do not, there simply will not be room in the defense budget for the B-2 or a lot of other things. This amendment would cut $1 billion out of the $2.3 billion being appropriated for the F-22. It would delay that program by 5 years. The F-22 is meant to replace the F-15. This F-15 is the finest fighter aircraft in the world, and right now we have more than 700 of them. The GAO has told us that the F-15 will be fully capable at least to the year 2015, yet the Air Force wants to spend over $70 billion to buy 442 F-22's.”