Strategy & Policy HASC Chair Won't Intervene For Global Hawk; Pledges To Try For More DoD Dough

AOL Defense ^ | 3/1/2012 | Colin Clark

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Even though Global Hawk is built in his district, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon told me today that he would not personally push to save the Block 30s from oblivion.

"I will not be involved in trying to force something just because it's best for my district," McKeon said today during the interview on C-Span's Newsmakers show. The Air Force killed the Global Hawk Block 30 purchase in the 2013 defense budget, arguing that the venerable U-2 reconnaissance plane does a better job for less. That cut is estimated to save the Pentagon $2.5 billion. The chairman clearly wasn't abandoning the Block 30s, but he did note that the U-2 is also maintained in his district. Perhaps in an effort to ensure his subcommittee chairmen keep their prerogatives and no one accuses him of pork barrel politics, he said the relevant subcommittee would handle the issue. McKeon did say he had "some concerns" about choosing a "50-year-old plane" over a more modern aircraft.

On defense sequestration, McKeon said he had not put his plan to avoid the automatic defense cuts before the GOP leadership yet. He's waiting to get 80 to 100 signatures on his proposed bill before he does that. But he also said he would strive to get more money for the Defense Department. "If there's any way to get more money, I will try to do that," he said

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