Next week, the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to begin marking up its defense spending bill, and supporters of the Air Forces A-10 are gearing up for a fight to save the slow and low flying aircraft.
According to Dfensenews.com, Durbin has signaled he is inclined to also block Pentagon-proposed cost-cutting measures, like an Air Force plan to retire the A-10 attack plane fleet.
However, according CongressWatch, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., A-10 proponents are “getting close” to a budgetary offset that would pay for the fleet’s operations and maintenance costs next year, which would essentially eliminate the excuse to mothball the popular plane.
As a result, supporters are urged to contact their senators and ask them to vote for the plane.
Last month, the House voted to save the plane in a bipartisan vote of 300 to 114. Arizona Congressman Ron Barber said at the time that he was fighting for the A-10 to remain in service because “there is no better and more effective aircraft for close air support of our soldiers and Marines on the ground.”
In a Senate hearing in March, General John Campbell, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, who has commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and also commanded the 101st Airborne Division, also praised the airframe during his testimony. “Commanding the 101st in RC-East [in Afghanistan] we had A-10 capability come in and provide close air support to our soldiers in very bad terrain. What I think the soldiers on the ground, both the special operators and conventional forces, would tell you it’s a game changer,” he said. “It’s ugly, it’s loud, but when it comes in…it just makes a difference, and so it would be a game changer.”
Senate contact numbers:
Alexander, Lamar (TN)(202) 224-4944
Ayotte, Kelly (NH)(202) 224-3324
Baldwin, Tammy (WI)(202) 224-5653
Barrasso, John (WY)(202) 224-6441
Baucus, Max (MT)(202) 224-2651
Begich, Mark (AK)(202) 224-3004
Bennet, Michael F. (CO)(202) 224-5852
Blumenthal, Richard (CT)(202) 224-2823
Blunt, Roy (MO)(202) 224-5721
Booker, Cory A. (NJ)(202) 224-3224
Boozman, John (AR)(202) 224-4843
Boxer, Barbara (CA)(202) 224-3553
Brown, Sherrod (OH)(202) 224-2315
Burr, Richard (NC)(202) 224-3154
Cantwell, Maria (WA)(202) 224-3441
Cardin, Benjamin L. (MD)(202) 224-4524
Carper, Thomas R. (DE)(202) 224-2441
Casey, Robert P., Jr. (PA)(202) 224-6324
Chambliss, Saxby (GA)(202) 224-3521
Coats, Daniel (IN)(202) 224-5623
Coburn, Tom (OK)(202) 224-5754
Cochran, Thad (MS) (202) 224-5054
Collins, Susan M. (ME) (202) 224-2523
Coons, Christopher A. (DE) (202) 224-5042
Corker, Bob (TN) (202) 224-3344
Cornyn, John (TX)(202) 224-2934
Crapo, Mike (ID)(202) 224-6142
Cruz, Ted (TX)(202) 224-5922
Donnelly, Joe (IN)(202) 224-4814
Durbin, Richard J. (IL)(202) 224-2152
Enzi, Michael B. (WY)(202) 224-3424
Feinstein, Dianne (CA)(202) 224-3841
Fischer, Deb (NE)(202) 224-6551
Flake, Jeff (AZ)(202) 224-4521
Franken, Al (MN)(202) 224-5641
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (NY)(202) 224-4451
Graham, Lindsey (SC)(202) 224-5972
Grassley, Chuck (IA)(202) 224-3744
Hagan, Kay R. (NC)(202) 224-6342
Harkin, Tom (IA)(202) 224-3254
Hatch, Orrin G. (UT)(202) 224-5251
Heinrich, Martin (NM)(202) 224-5521
Heitkamp, Heidi (ND)(202) 224-2043
Heller, Dean (NV)(202) 224-6244
Hirono, Mazie K. (HI)(202) 224-6361
Hoeven, John (ND)(202) 224-2551
Inhofe, James M. (OK)(202) 224-4721
Isakson, Johnny (GA)(202) 224-3643
Johanns, Mike (NE)(202) 224-4224
Johnson, Ron (WI)(202) 224-5323
Johnson, Tim (SD)(202) 224-5842
Kaine, Tim (VA)(202) 224-4024
King, Angus S., Jr. (ME)(202) 224-5344
Kirk, Mark (IL)(202) 224-2854
Klobuchar, Amy (MN)(202) 224-3244
Landrieu, Mary L. (LA)(202) 224-5824
Leahy, Patrick J. (VT)(202) 224-4242
Lee, Mike (UT)(202) 224-5444
Levin, Carl (MI)(202) 224-6221
Manchin, Joe, (WV)(202) 224-3954
Markey, Edward J. (MA)(202) 224-2742
McCain, John (AZ)(202) 224-2235
McCaskill, Claire (MO)(202) 224-6154
McConnell, Mitch (KY)(202) 224-2541
Menendez, Robert (NJ)(202) 224-4744
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Merkley, Jeff (OR)(202) 224-3753
Mikulski, Barbara A. (MD)(202) 224-4654
Moran, Jerry (KS)(202) 224-6521
Murkowski, Lisa (AK)(202) 224-6665
Murphy, Christopher (CT)(202) 224-4041
Murray, Patty (WA)(202) 224-2621
Nelson, Bill (FL)(202) 224-5274
Paul, Rand (KY)(202) 224-4343
Portman, Rob (OH)(202) 224-3353
Pryor, Mark L. (AR)(202) 224-2353
Reed, Jack (RI)(202) 224-4642
Reid, Harry (NV)(202) 224-3542
Risch, James E. (ID)(202) 224-2752
Roberts, Pat (KS)(202) 224-4774
Rockefeller, John D., IV (WV)(202) 224-6472
Rubio, Marco (FL)(202) 224-3041
Sanders, Bernard (VT)(202) 224-5141
Schatz, Brian (HI)(202) 224-3934
Schumer, Charles E. (NY)(202) 224-6542
Scott, Tim (SC)(202) 224-6121
Sessions, Jeff (AL)(202) 224-4124
Shaheen, Jeanne (NH)(202) 224-2841
Shelby, Richard C. (AL)(202) 224-5744
Stabenow, Debbie (MI)(202) 224-4822
Tester, Jon (MT)(202) 224-2644
Thune, John (SD)(202) 224-2321
Toomey, Patrick J. (PA)(202) 224-4254
Udall, Mark (CO)(202) 224-5941
Udall, Tom (NM)(202) 224-6621
Vitter, David (LA)(202) 224-4623
Warner, Mark R. (VA)(202) 224-2023
Warren, Elizabeth (MA)(202) 224-4543
Whitehouse, Sheldon (RI)(202) 224-2921
Wicker, Roger F. (MS)(202) 224-6253
Wyden, Ron (OR)(202) 224-5244