Brickley zings Larson on airplane engine vote

Press release from Ann Brickley, the endorsed Republican congressional candidate in the 1st District, which includes Bristol:

Brickley Cites Larson’s Lack of Leadership in Failure to Stop Funding For Alternate Engine on Joint Strike Fighter

Despite major leadership position, Larson fails to deliver House votes to kill funding for rival to Pratt and Whitney’s superior Joint Strike Fighter engine

Hartford, CT - Ann Brickley, the Republican endorsed candidate for the 1st Congressional District, is questioning Congressman John Larson’s effectiveness as the fourth most powerful leader in the House of Representatives, for his failure to stop funding for the wasteful development of a multi-billion dollar alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. 

During the past five years, Congress has spent billions funding the development of a fighter engine that would compete with the Pratt and Whitney engine.  Last week, the House defeated (231-193) an amendment that Larson co-sponsored that would have prevented funding of the alternate engine and saved the taxpayers $485 million.  “In effect, Larson struck out on this issue”, Brickley said.

“President Obama, the Air Force, Navy and Secretary of Defense have publically said they don’t want or need the alternate engine and it is a waste of taxpayer dollars.  The Democrats have overwhelming majorities in the House and the Senate, as well as the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.  If Larson can’t win under these conditions, something is clearly wrong.  The entire vote looks like a political shell game and should be investigated”, Brickley said.

Congressman Larson offered this hollow defense of his lack of success on eliminating this funding, saying “Where else but in Washington, DC could the Secretary of Defense, Navy, Air Force and Marines say we don’t want this.  It’s unnecessary.  But Congress goes blindly ahead.” 

“Based on these comments, one would think he was an outsider trying to oust an entrenched incumbent,” Brickley said.  “Apparently he is running against Congress. And Congressman Larson is right - Congress is a big problem, but by simply looking in the mirror he can see what is wrong with Congress.  He is a 12-year incumbent, chairman of the Democratic caucus, working with huge, unhealthy Democratic majorities in the House and Senate with a Democratic administration.  What else could he possibly need to pass an amendment if in fact he really wanted it?”

Brickley also points out that at present, the manufacturer of the alternate engine, General Electric is the top contributor to Larson’s 2010 re-election campaign.

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