Lieberman Lauds Senate Appropriations Committee's Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (ID-CT) today lauded the Senate Committee on Appropriations' Defense Subcommittee for marking up a defense appropriations bill that supports the defense budget requested by President Obama. The bill will provide $636.3 billion in new discretionary spending authority and meets the President's request that Congress end the wasteful development of an alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

"I applaud my colleagues for supporting the President and cancelling the unnecessary alternate engine program," Lieberman said. "This is an important vote of confidence in the skilled workers of Connecticut."

As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Lieberman led the fight to cancel the authorization for the alternate engine in the Senate's version of the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act.