Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman very, very much for engaging me in this colloquy and for his work on this very important piece of legislation.

Last year's National Defense Authorization Act, which passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, expressed serious concern that our Nation's tactical fighter capacity is not sufficient to meet combatant commander warfighting requirements. Yet, the Air Force is proposing the premature closure of one of the United States' two major fighter manufacturing lines, the F-15EX.

The F-15EX is a critical asset, particularly for the National Guard. The National Guard's unfunded priorities list included a request for additional EX production.

If this line shuts down in the fiscal year 2025, as proposed in the President's budget, the U.S. will be down to a single tactical aviation manufacturing line, and this is unacceptably risky.

Over 44 Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, supported the additional funding to keep the important F-15EX program going.

I understand that top-line constraints this year present tough challenges, Mr. Chairman, but this manufacturing line is in my home State of Missouri, and it is a strategic asset and a national security imperative.

May I have your commitment, sir, to work with me on the issue as the process continues?

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Mrs. WAGNER. I thank the chairman for agreeing to work with me on this critically important issue and for his leadership on this legislation and in so many other important things that come before this body.

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