Zombie Cold War weapons won't die...
Seems like everyone has taken an ax to the F-22; but Congress keeps bringing it back to life...
Urge your Representative to put it to rest once and for all: stop buying planes that NO ONE wants. Send a message.

Dear Friends –

What a puzzle. The Cold War ended in 1991 -- 18 years ago. Since then, we've had some conflicts -- a war on terror, a war in Iraq, and many other skirmishes -- but we haven't revived our war with the Soviet Union. (In fact, um, it no longer exists.)

So you'd think we'd change our defense budget to reflect this reality. Actually, a lot of smart people have tried, and are trying now.

One of the main holdovers that is increasingly obsolete: the F-22 Raptor aircraft. Designed to fight against a Soviet plane that was never built, it has cost us over $158 billion total (roughly $350 million for each of the 187 we will have by 2012). It has never flown in Iraq or Afghanistan; it is of little use against terrorists and rogue states.

Who wants to slash funding for procuring more? Simply: the people who are responsible for our country's defense and security. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. President Obama. Top Air Force officials. Even Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who tried to do away with it in 2002. When Gates proposed finishing it up, he said flatly, "It was not a close call. There is no military requirement for numbers beyond 187."

So you'd think the proposal to stop ordering more F-22s would sail through Congress. We can redirect those millions to things that we really do need to keep our country strong and safe. But no. The F-22 just gets up, again and again, and lumbers around in OUR military.

Imagine our surprise this morning when we found out that last night, in the weeeee hours, the House Armed Services Committee authorized a brand new $369 million for Advanced Procurement for 12 F-22s.

Seriously -- big surprise. But we still have a chance to stop it, when it gets to the floor of the House. BUT WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION! Contact your Representative and say: ENOUGH. THANKS.

A video love story... Congress and F-22 sittin' in a tree... Be sure to watch this fun and funny video about the steamy relationship that is costing you, personally, a lot of tax dollars.

• The existing fleet of more than 100 F-22s has not flown a single mission over Iraq or Afghanistan. Through 2008, over $58 billion has been spent to design and build a system designed to fight an enemy that no longer exists.(Stimson)
• On April 6, 2009, as part of the 2010 Pentagon budget announcement, Secretary of Defense Gates called for production of the F-22 to be phased out by fiscal year 2011, leaving the USAF with 187 fighters. Spending on F-35 acquisition would be increased.
• Lawrence Korb: "The F/A-22 Raptor is the most unnecessary weapon system being built by the Pentagon."

As President Obama noted in his "State of the Union" speech in February, this administration is trying to move away from systems that were set up to fight the Cold War. Gates has proposed changes that would strengthen our abilities to tackle the security challenges of today; he said he wanted to change the "priorities of America's defense establishment."

At the end of his prepared remarks, Gates had this to say:

"As I told the Congress in January, this budget presents an opportunity -- one of those rare chances to match virtue to necessity; to critically and ruthlessly separate appetites from real requirements -- those things that are desirable in a perfect world from those things that are truly needed in light of the threats America faces and the missions we are likely to undertake in the years ahead. An opportunity to truly reform the way we do business."

Lobbyists from the defense industry kicked their PR campaigns into gear even before Gates made his recommendations; the watchword in this difficult economic time is simply this: Jobs.

While these changes seem common-sense and basic to most of us, they will not be easy to realize. And that's because there are deep pockets and vested interests who will mount campaigns against them. The defense industry has spent many years building systems that are hard to dismantle.

The immediate response to the planned changes was to trumpet the number of jobs that would be lost. All over the country -- the industry has been careful to spread these jobs across Congressional districts from one end to the other. A quick scan of the news today brought up stories about the potential job losses in several states:

• "F-22 jet is middling fighter but good at producing jobs" in Maryland
• "State Jobs In Jeopardy As Pentagon Signals End Of F-22 Jet Production" in Connecticut
• "Marietta jobs on the line as Pentagon declines F-22s" in Georgia

Gates acknowledged that he would probably face opposition from lawmakers eager to protect jobs in their districts. "My hope is that members of Congress will rise above parochial interests and consider what is in the best interest of the nation as a whole," he said.

Action Guide from WAND: Finding New Ways to Create Jobs The military industry stays in business because it creates millions of jobs. But other projects can do even better. It's time to reinvest our public monies.

Join in WAND’s campaign Congress Meets the Community In the next year, Congress will play an essential role in setting the agenda for vital security and budget priority issues. Let them know how you feel! We can help.