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Chambliss and Barr Announce
C-130J's in President's Defense
Budget
February 1, 2002
WASHINGTON-U.S.
Representatives Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), chairman
of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and
Homeland Security, and Bob Barr (R-Ga.) today
announced that President BushĄs new budget
expected to arrive on Capitol Hill next Monday
will include funding for the acquisition of new
C-130J and KC-130J aircraft over the next five
years.
~The C-130J aircraft
is a workhorse for the United States military,E
Chambliss said. ~They are used to deploy troops
and humanitarian aid around the globe-a function
that will be increasingly important as we move
forward in our war against terrorism. I have been
working with the Air Force and the Marine Corps
since I came to Congress in 1994 to increase the
number of C-130J aircraft in our fleet, and I am
encouraged by our presidentĄs continued commitment
to ensure our military is fully equipped to meet
current demands.E
"The last few months
have confirmed what many of us have known for some
time now, which is that the C-130 is
an essential part of America's 21st century
military," Barr said. "It has performed remarkably
in helping to deploy our troops to fight terrorism
abroad and I fully intend to work with the
President and my colleagues in Congress to ensure
additional C-130s are included in this year's
budget."
The PresidentĄs
budget request, expected to arrive on Capitol Hill
next week, will include a proposal for a
multi-year procurement
of C-130J aircraft for the Air Force. This offer
also allows the Air Force not only significant
savings when compared to annual buys but also
helps them to achieve its C-130J modernization
goals. The aircraft is built by Lockheed Martin in
Marietta, GA.
Congressional
authorization and appropriation approval is needed
for the multi-year contract during this yearĄs
FY03 budget deliberations.
Next Tuesday,
February 5, 2002, Chambliss and Barr will hold a
press conference at Lockheed to discuss this
proposal and other items in President BushĄs
defense budget.
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