WASHINGTON -- In another rebuke to House Speaker John Boehner, lawmakers on Wednesday voted to strip $450 million in funds for an alternate fighter engine from a bill to fund government operations.
By a 233-198 margin, House members voted to remove the funds set aside for the military's F-35 joint striker engine, an expenditure long-bemoaned as pure pork, but often defended by lawmakers from states that would benefit from the funds such as Boehner's home state of Ohio.
By tradition, speakers do not vote, and Boehner did not vote in this case, his spokesman confirmed.
In past attempts to end the program, lawmakers who support continued funding have almost always been from states that stand to benefit directing: Congress members from Ohio and Indiana, where General Electric Co. and Rolls-Royce would build the alternative engine, mostly supported the engine. Meanwhile, lawmakers from Connecticut, Florida and Texas, where Pratt & Whitney currently manufacture the main F-35 fighter engine, largely voted against the second engine.
Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), who introduced the amendment, told The Huffington Post that he was heartened that members took the chance to live up to their campaign promises.
"What it comes down to is what was the November election about?" he said after the vote. "What were you sent here to do? And that was to cut spending. I have $450 million we can cut today. The speculation that over the next 50 years, two engines might drive down costs, is just that -- it's speculative."
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