Murphy Statement On Secretary Gates' Budget And The F-22

Statement

Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) released the following statement on the fate of the F-22 Raptor.

"Secretary Gates' defense budget takes important and needed steps to rein in the way we equip our military after eight long years of bloated budgets and out of control acquisition. However, it has a glaring omission that I am fighting to correct. The elimination of the F-22 would leave our men and women serving in the military without one of their best tools to protect us, and the ripple effects of its elimination would add to our economic woes.

"The F-22 is unmatched in its ability to evade radar detection, keeping our soldiers and our nation safe from threats. And in order to provide a seamless transition to manufacturing the next generation of tactical aircraft, the F-35, we need to keep the skilled workforce and their indispensible knowledge here in Connecticut.

"From the first day of President Obama's term, I've been advocating for the F-22, and I am going to continue to fight for it because it's the right thing to do for our nation's defense, and it's the right thing to do for Connecticut's economy."

Source