This is quite amazing. Just a few months ago New York's 22nd district Congressman Maurice Hinchey assured everyone in the Southern Tier that Lockheed Martin's Presidential Helicopter contract could be saved. Earlier this month Hinchey issued a statement that the chances of saving the copter program were 50/50. Today Hinchey issued another statement saying that he was confident that the Copter program could be saved. We need a rep that's not going to make decisions based on the direction that the wind is blowing.
By My-Ly Nguyen •mnguyen@gannett.com • October 29, 2009, 5:25 pm
OWEGO -- When it comes to funding the canceled presidential helicopter program, it's not over until it's over.
And that could be as early as next week or well into November, said Jeff Lieberson, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley.
President Barack Obama may have signed a defense authorization bill Wednesday that does not include funding to continue Lockheed Martin's development of helicopters to replace his aging fleet, but that bill merely sets guidance for defense spending. It's the congressional appropriations committees that decide what is funded, Lieberson said.
"They actually cut the checks, so to speak," he said.
Most of the time, appropriations follow the guidelines set by the administration, Lieberson said. But there are times when those appropriations differ.
Hinchey is on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which earmarked $485.2 million for the helicopter program. The Senate did not include the copter funding in its version of the defense budget for fiscal 2010.
Both sides have been working to reconcile differences between their respective defense spending bills, including figuring out whether the presidential helicopter program will get the money it needs to advance in the joint, unified version of the spending plan.
"Congressman Hinchey and I are talking and working on this every day, pressing the leaders of the committee who control funding and making our arguments on the merits," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "It is a difficult fight, but one we are waging as hard as we can."
The hope was that the conference committee would have wrapped up this reconciliation process on the presidential copter and other defense projects a few weeks ago.
"It's certainly not over," Lieberson said. "Our goal all along has been to fund the helicopter through the appropriations process. ... This doesn't change anything at all."
Earlier this month, Hinchey said chances are "50-50" that House and Senate leaders will restore the helicopter funding.
the canceled presidential helicopter program, it's not over until it's over.
And that could be as early as next week or well into November, said Jeff Lieberson, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley.
President Barack Obama may have signed a defense authorization bill Wednesday that does not include funding to continue Lockheed Martin's development of helicopters to replace his aging fleet, but that bill merely sets guidance for defense spending. It's the congressional appropriations committees that decide what is funded, Lieberson said.
"They actually cut the checks, so to speak," he said.
Most of the time, appropriations follow the guidelines set by the administration, Lieberson said. But there are times when those appropriations differ.
Hinchey is on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which earmarked $485.2 million for the helicopter program. The Senate did not include the copter funding in its version of the defense budget for fiscal 2010.
Both sides have been working to reconcile differences between their respective defense spending bills, including figuring out whether the presidential helicopter program will get the money it needs to advance in the joint, unified version of the spending plan.
"Congressman Hinchey and I are talking and working on this every day, pressing the leaders of the committee who control funding and making our arguments on the merits," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "It is a difficult fight, but one we are waging as hard as we can."
The hope was that the conference committee would have wrapped up this reconciliation process on the presidential copter and other defense projects a few weeks ago.
"It's certainly not over," Lieberson said. "Our goal all along has been to fund the helicopter through the appropriations process. ... This doesn't change anything at all."
Earlier this month, Hinchey said chances are "50-50" that House and Senate leaders will restore the helicopter funding.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910290380
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