Citizens Against Government Waste Has Opposed The Engine From The Start

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) issued a statement Thursday supporting the "stop-work" order on the F136 alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. CAGW has led the opposition to the engine since it was first disclosed as an earmark in 2004. The group contends that pulling the plug on the project will save taxpayers $3 billion.

CAGW says that despite being repeatedly designated as wasteful and unnecessary by both the Bush and Obama administrations and top military officials, the engine received $1.2 billion in earmarks from fiscal year (FY) 2004 through FY 2010. CAGW has often remarked that the only general that supported the program was General Electric, which partners with Rolls Royce on the engine.

On January 6, 2011, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said “every dollar spent on excess overhead or unneeded programs – such as the extra engine for the JSF – is a dollar not available to support our troops and prepare for threats on the horizon.” On February 16, 2011, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee, “I mean, I’ve been doing money a long time. I cannot make sense out of this second engine. It is two to three years behind. It’s not going to compete, quite frankly.” A month later, the House of Representatives voted 233-198 in favor of amendment to eliminate its funding in H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Resolution (CR) for FY 2011. After that bill was rejected by the Senate and a short-term CR was approved, a bi-partisan group of representative and senators persuaded the Office of Management and Budget to continue funding the engine despite the apparent violation of OMB guidelines for spending money on projects in the CR.

F136 Engine Testing

“While this stop-order should be the final nail in the coffin for the alternate engine, members of Congress are already talking about restoring funding in the FY 2012 defense authorization bill,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “The House and Senate have both voted to eliminate the program, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees should uphold the will of Congress by withholding funds for the program in every CR that is considered for the rest of FY 2011, as well as the FY 2012 defense appropriations bill. Perhaps then taxpayers can celebrate the final demise of the alternate engine.”

FMI: www.cagw.org