House Appropriations to consider A-10 funding Monday

Supporters must call Committee members now The U.S. House Appropriations Committee is conducting their full committee markup of the fiscal year 2015 Defense Appropriations Bill on Tuesday, June 10th at 9:30 a.m. The markup is especially important after Arizona Congressman Ron Barber failed to secure funding for the A-10 last month when the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee developed draft legislation.

According to sources, the Air Force is putting a full court press on House Appropriations Committee members to cut the A-10. Supporters of the A-10 are being urged to call, email, and visit to House Appropriations Committee members on Monday and ask them to fund the A-10 for Fiscal year 2015.

The decision by the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee surprised everyone including Barber. On May 30, 2014, the AZDI reported, “The move mystified many due to the fact that earlier this month the full House had voted to fund the A-10 fleet for Fiscal Year 2015… Barber released a statement that he was angry that the draft disregarded “the authorization to pay for the A-10 passed with overwhelming and bipartisan support last week.”

In an article entitled The Air Force’s Rationale For Retiring The A-10 Warthog Is Bullshit, Tyler Rogoway writes, “The fact that the USAF is so willing to throw away 300 of the finest close air support platforms ever invented just to save the cost equivalent of 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters is total bullshit and both the American taxpayer and those who bravely fight our wars on the ground should be furious.”

According to Rogoway, the Air Force wants to “replace” the A-10 in the future with “something not nearly as “elegant,” but still capable of the basic close air support (CAS) mission.” Rogoway writes, “In the meantime, our soldiers will be left getting close air support from “adequate” high-performance fighter aircraft, Predator and Reaper unmanned systems, and huge aircraft built originally as strategic bombers.”

Tucson’s Davis Monthan Air Force base is home to the A-10. Should supporters fail to keep funding for the A-10; Davis Monthan will be ripe for a BRAC after 2015.

Full Committee Members: