Veterans Cheer Levin-McCain Amendment Passage on F22

By VoteVets.org  |  Press Release
PUBLISHED: July 21, 2009

"We didn't need these planes, the Pentagon didn't want these planes.  
Special interests wanted these planes."

WASHINGTON - Veterans today cheered the passage of the Levin-McCain amendment to the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate, stripping additional funds added in committee for F-22 Raptor jets that the Pentagon didn't want, and funding for which it opposed.

Brandon Friedman, Vice Chairman for VoteVets.org and an Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran himself said:

"This was the right vote.  We didn't need these planes, the Pentagon didn't want these planes.  Special interests wanted these planes, which serve no purpose in the wars we're fighting.  As Secretary Gates suggested, every dollar that would've gone to these planes would've been a dollar taken away from our troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq now.  And that was unacceptable. We already have 187 F-22s in hangars or in the pipeline.  That's sufficient.  Senators McCain and Levin provided clear leadership on this issue, and we're thankful they were there."

VoteVets.org is the leading progressive, pro-military organization of veterans, dedicated to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when necessary. It primarily focuses on education and advocacy on issues of importance to the troops and veterans, and holding politicians accountable for their actions on these issues.

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