Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) today voted in favor of the Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5631) that passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 403 to 19.  The bill provides $427.6 billion in Pentagon funding, including $50 billion to support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terrorism.

“Though not a perfect bill, both the women and men in our military and our national security will benefit from the defense spending included in this legislation,” Larsen said.

Larsen highlighted the following provisions of the bill that will impact Washington state:

Aerial Refueling Tankers
The current Air Force refueling fleet includes hundreds of aging KC-135 aircraft which are slated for retirement.  The Air Force is currently competing a contract to purchase a new replacement tanker fleet. The House defense spending bill allocates $204 million for the tanker replacement program which will help with the research, development, testing and evaluation of the new tanker model.

“The Air Force needs a new generation of tankers, and the Boeing 767 and 787 aircraft are an ideal replacement,” Larsen said. “The House bill helps build a foundation of support that will move us one step closer to this reality.”

Multi-Mission Aircraft
The House defense spending bill allocates $1.13 billion for the development of the P8-A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, a surveillance plane that will replace the aging fleet of P-3 Orion aircraft.  Many of the current P-3 Orion aircraft are based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Representative for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, I look forward to replacing the aging fleet of P-3 aircraft,” said Larsen.  “I will continue to work with the Navy to ensure that the new P8-A has a home at NAS Whidbey,” he concluded.

EA-18G Growler Program
The House defense spending bill shifted funding away from the Navy’s request to purchase 12 new EA-18G aircraft with the goal of delaying the program by one year.  The EA-18G “Growler” is slated to replace the existing EA-6B Prowler which is a key asset for our nation’s defense and is the primary airborne electronic attack asset.

“While the House Appropriation Committee has expressed long-term support for the EA-18G program, I am concern that this delay in production will hamper our electronic warfare capabilities,” said Larsen.

“As co-chair of the Electronic Warfare Working Group I am committed to restoring funding for the critical EA-18G Growler program as this bill heads to conference,” he concluded.

The House bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.  A final version of the bill must be agreed upon by the House and Senate before the president can sign it into law.

Larsen serves on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.

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