[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       WE DO NOT NEED MORE B-2'S

  (Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, the 1996 defense 
authorization bill before this House today repeals current law that 
limits the number of B-2 Stealth bombers that may be produced at 20 
planes and lifting the current $44 billion spending limit.
  Mr. Speaker, witnesses on behalf of the Air Force, both civilians and 
uniformed service, have repeatedly indicated to us that they do not 
want these bombers, that the Joint Chiefs of Staff repeatedly have 
testified that they do not want to purchase more B-2's.
  There is no money programmed in anyone's budget plan to pay for the 
out-year costs that will be forced by the bill's provisions to build 
more B-2's. This will cost $38.2 billion over 20 years, and the highly 
regarded Institute for Defense Analyses has indicated that that money 
would be better spent on precision guided munitions and conventional 
munitions upgrades to the B-1 Bomber.
  Mr. Speaker, what could that same amount of money be better used for, 
if not for deficit reduction? Then, alternatively, that same amount of 
money would immunize every child in the United States, fully fund 
Public Broadcasting for 10 years, restore all education funds and be 
better used for the people of this country.


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