WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released an updated Issue Brief on the alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The report can be viewed here. CAGW has a webpage devoted to the issue, which features reports on the alternate engine, congressional testimony, and links to other resources on the subject.

“The alternate engine should be grounded,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “Two presidents, two secretaries of defense, a phalanx of top military officials, and a majority of the Senate have all agreed that this program should be terminated. Until funding is cut from Congress’ pork-fueled alternate engine, the program will continue to be a burden on taxpayers and the military.”

Over the past nine years, the JSF program has evolved into the largest and lengthiest Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition program, expected to ultimately cost $300 billion. Congressional meddling in the program began in fiscal year (FY) 2007, when the DOD proposed termination of the alternate engine and declined to include funds in its budget request.

Since 2004, Congress has earmarked more than $1.2 billion for the alternate engine. In the FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, the alternate engine program received a $465 million earmark. This was among the 35 anonymous earmarks worth $6 billion slipped into the legislation, which was highlighted in CAGW’s 2010 Congressional Pig Book. The House of Representatives has once again ignored the evidence, as well as a threatened a presidential veto, by adding $485 million for the program in H.R. 5136, the FY 2011 Defense Authorization Act.

Defense Secretary Gates stated on May 20, 2010 about the JSF, “as I have stated repeatedly, should the Congress insist on adding funding for a costly and unnecessary JSF extra engine or direct changes that seriously disrupt the JSF program, or impose additional C-17 aircraft, I will strongly recommend that the president veto such legislation. Let me be clear. I believe the defense budget process should no longer be characterized by business as usual within this building or outside of it . . . As I’ve said before, only in Washington does a proposal where everybody wins get considered a competition, where everybody is guaranteed a piece of the action at the end. Yeah, we’re in favor of competition. But my idea of competition is winner takes all, and we don’t have that kind of a situation here.”

The alternate engine program has been the subject of several comprehensive reports that indicate that it is duplicative and unnecessary. In 2007, according to CBS News, the U.S. Air Force and two independent panels concluded that the second engine is “not necessary and not affordable” and that the alleged savings from creating a mock competition “will never be achieved.” A May 21, 2010 story by ABC News called the alternate engine a “$3 Billion Government Boondoggle.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

CONTACT:

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)
Leslie K. Paige, 202-467-5334
or
MacMillin Slobodien, 202-467-5305

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