Copyright 2002 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.  
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
October 18, 2002 Friday Five Star Lift Edition
SECTION: NEWS ; Pg. A5

LENGTH: 450 words

HEADLINE: CONGRESS OKS FUNDS FOR 2 SUPER HORNETS BEYOND BUSH'S 44;
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT OF MISSOURI'S SENATORS PUSHED THROUGH INCREASE PROGRAM EMPLOYS 4,000 HERE

BYLINE: Philip Dine Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

BODY:
Congress is sending President George W. Bush a $355 billion defense budget that includes more St. Louis-built Super Hornets than the administration requested.

Bush is expected to sign the bill later this month. It reflects the generous mood for defense spending in light of the U.S.-led global campaign on terrorism and the prospects of a military showdown with Iraq.

In a compromise to reconcile differing versions of the defense bill passed by the House and Senate, conference members from the two chambers agreed late Wednesday to provide money for two more planes than the White House had requested.

The president had originally asked for 44, the figure passed by the Republican-controlled House. The Democratic-controlled Senate appropriated money for 48 Super Hornets. The multiyear contract between Boeing and the Navy calls for 48 in next year's budget, but the contract allows the government some leeway to reduce the number allocated in a given year.

Missouri's two senators helped get the 48 planes in the Senate version of the defense bill, which paved the way for the splitting the difference that left the final number at 46.

Sen. Jean Carnahan, D-Mo., lobbied with the chairman of the defense appropriations panel, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. He said that Carnahan's efforts had reminded the panel's members of "the Super Hornet striker's importance and potential as a member of a battle group." And Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., a senior member of the defense appropriations subcommittee, used his influence to secure the 48 planes.

That raised the spending on Super Hornets by about $100 million, to $3.2 billion. The program employs about 4,000 workers in the St. Louis area.

The defense bill also includes $10 million for research and development on a radar-jamming version of the Super Hornet, to replace the EA-6B Prowler as the nation's next electronic warfare plane. That could lead to the production of 90 or more additional Super Hornets, said Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., who has led the effort as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The bill also includes $25 million to continue installing a new voice-data satellite communications system at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., that helps connect command and control cen ters with aircraft, as well as $50 billion for B-2 radar improvements.

"Missouri's military contributions will help the U.S. maintain a strong national defense (and) support America's war against international terrorism," Carnahan said. Given the current situation, Bond said, it is "especially important that we provide the strongest support for the men and women who serve in the U.S. military."

NOTES:
Reporter Philip Dine:; E-mail: pdine@post-dispatch.com; Phone: 202-298-6880

LOAD-DATE: October 18, 2002