Congressman Long Makes Rare Good Decision With Vote Against F-35 Engine

Congressman Billy Long hasn't been a champion in Washington when it comes to fighting big, intrusive government, so today's vote against a military contract was unexpected. Long voted against the industrial military complex today, something not often seen in the Republican ranks. So this is one victory to cut military spending, but how far is Long and the Republicans willing to cut the military in order to reduce the federal deficit. That' still remains to be seen.

WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The Pentagon's drive to kill funding for an alternate F-35 fighter plane engine is based on the "cold analytical judgment" that the money spent now would not pay off in the long run, Defense Undersecretary Ashton Carter said.

"This isn't a philosophical matter," the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer told a conference hosted by Aviation Week. "It's a cold analytical judgment that the large ... cost of preparing a second engine for completion will not in any way that we can demonstrate be paid over the long term."

His comments came as U.S. lawmakers prepared to vote on whether to cut $450 million in funding for the interchangeable engine from the rest of fiscal year 2011 as part of a Republican bill to cut $61 billion from federal spending.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week described the F-35 engine being developed by General Electric (GE.N) and Britain's Rolls Royce (RR.L) as "an unnecessary and extravagant expense," and said he would look at all available legal options to end it.

GE and Rolls Royce are developing the engine as an alternate to an engine built by United Technologies Corp (UTX.N) unit Pratt & Whitney.