In what the media is framing so far as a victory for President Obama and a blow to the so-called “military-industrial complex,” the Senate voted 58-40 today to block funding for the construction of additional F-22 fighter jets, keeping the number constructed or in construction at 187. Voting did not fall on party lines. Montana’s Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester opposed the amendment, voting in favor of continuing funding for the jets.
In April I reported on Montana manufacturing firms that produce parts for the F-22 Raptor, one of which is Sonju Industrial in Kalispell. Parts for the jet are produced in 44 states, which is one way the contractor has established congressional support for the jet, despite support from Defense Secretary Robert Gates for the cheaper, more versatile F-35. Tester, Baucus and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., all expressed support for the F-22 in my previous story.