Posted on 04/07/2005 8:54:50 AM PDT by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON -- A contract for a presidential helicopter fleet prompted a heated turf fight on the Senate floor Wednesday, stalling a major spending bill in what one lawmaker called "a sneak attack" by a fellow Democrat.
The surprise move by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., sent New York Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer scrambling to defend a contract that will bring hundreds of defense jobs to upstate Owego, N.Y., to build the next Marine One helicopter.
Dodd objects to the Navy awarding the $6.1 billion, 23-helicopter contract to Maryland-based Lockheed Martin and its international partners instead of Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft, which has manufactured the president's helicopter fleet since 1957.
The competition led to a running debate over whether, for reasons of national security, the president's helicopter should include foreign-made parts.
"There are few more sensitive and more important national security concerns than the safe transport of our nation's chief executive," Dodd said in successfully attaching an amendment to a $34 billion foreign spending bill.
Dodd's measure would prohibit any European companies producing components of the US101 helicopter from doing business with terrorist-sponsoring states.
Lockheed's international partners include the British-Italian company, AgustaWestland.
Dodd's amendment might have subjected AgustaWestland to a bureaucratic nightmare of export paperwork for producing some of the US101's components.
The helicopter's main transmission and rotor blades will be built overseas.
After Dodd's legislative maneuver succeeded, Clinton and Schumer used parliamentary rules to block the entire spending measure.
"It was a sneak attack. We knew nothing about it," said Schumer, D-N.Y.
The bill's prospects were uncertain even before the fight between New York and Connecticut, and neither side was willing to budge Wednesday night.
"We said we're going to stay here, we're not going anywhere, we won it fair and square," said Clinton, who argued the Dodd amendment would unfairly punish European subsidiaries doing nonmilitary work in Iran.
"It's insulting to say that our two staunchest allies who have had people die in Iraq are somehow not to be trusted," Clinton said.
Even after the bill was shelved, the dispute brought Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner to the floor to defend the helicopter contract and criticize Dodd.
"I can assure you we will employ every parliamentary device available to us to see that this matter is rectified because this was not done in a manner consistent with what we normally do around here," said Warner, R-Va.
Love it when Libs fight each other!...........Hold my coat.....
RAT FIGHT!!!!!
I also find it amusing that the ones getting on Dodd are those who directly stand to benefit. NY and Virginia (on subs) have fights with Connecticut regularly. I would like to see the opinion of a senator from Hawaii or Delaware or New Hamshire.
I support Dodd on this issue. Especially since he gets to stick it to two of the four most evil and despicable members of the US Senate, Chuckie Schumer and Hitler-y Clinton. (the other 2 are Boxer and Kennedy)
hundreds of defense jobs
$6.1 billion
23-helicopter contract
this looks like $250+ million a copy!
CAT FIGHT! Yee Hawwwwwwwwwwwww!
>I also find it amusing that the ones getting on Dodd are those who directly stand to benefit. NY and Virginia (on subs) have fights with Connecticut regularly. <
Ok, a potentially dumb question, here. Is this fighting due to Conneecticut being home to The Electric Boat?
"This is not how we usually do things around here" HELL NO it's not you people usually sheak around to get the things you pork barrel in. (LIKE YOUR LAST PAY RAISE) I for one agree with Sen Dodd even if he is a DIM.
Ping!
"This is not how we usually do things around here" HELL NO it's not you people usually sheak around to get the things you pork barrel in. (LIKE YOUR LAST PAY RAISE) I for one agree with Sen Dodd even if he is a DIM.
OOOOOOOOOPPPPSSS
Am I just dense or does the article fail to identify the parent bill - the spending bill that was shelved?
I agree with you -- know someone who works for Lockmart and couldn't figure out how they got the contract -- that spoke volumes to me. Should have gone to the company that makes the helicopters not some overseas agrees with Lockmart!
LOL.....oh how sweet it is!
When times get really bad they eat their young.
I think Bush should demand Texas or MS be the base for production!
Or any Red State for that matter :-)
Watch it, Dodd .... unless you want to die from Arkancide :).
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