Senators seek funds for 12 more C-17s

Eighteen senators on Thursday urged the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to include funding for 12 C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft in the fiscal 2010 Defense spending bill.

In a letter to Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., the senators said the C-17 "has been critical in transporting troops and equipment to and from Iraq and Afghanistan and we do not see airlift needs abating anytime soon."

President Obama does not want to buy more C-17s, arguing the 205 planes on order or delivered are adequate to meet the military's needs. The Boeing Co. planes have enjoyed widespread congressional support for years.

"We are concerned that without additional funding, our aerospace engineering, design and manufacturing base will atrophy, putting at risk our competitiveness in the global market, our ability to address future airlift requirements and put at risk 30,000 American jobs stretched across 43 states," the senators wrote.

Among those signing the letter were Sens. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo. -- all of whom represent states that would benefit from continued C-17 production.

The House-passed version of the fiscal 2010 Defense Appropriations bill includes $674 million for three C-17s.