November 14, 1975
Page 36748
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, as I said yesterday in a colloquy with Senator McCLELLAN, "It is vital that Congress control and limit expenditures wherever possible in the budget." In the National Defense function portion, every effort needs to be made for "prudent savings during this debate and in the House-Senate Conference on the Defense Appropriation bill." It is for this reason that I stand in support of the amendment by the distinguished Senator from Arizona (Mr. GOLDWATER) to delete funding for the F–18 Navy air combat fighter. If this amendment is successful and this position is held in conference, then we will have saved more than $130 million in budget authority for fiscal year 1976 and the transition quarter.
On the other hand, if Congress decides to appropriate these moneys now, it is estimated we will be committed to expend for this so-called "low-cost aircraft" in excess of $2 billion over the next 5 years.
I am also concerned that the debate has failed to address the most important point: What is the F– 18's mission and how does it fit our national policy? The issue seems to be who will build the aircraft, not why.
The National Defense function ceilings for fiscal 1976, as reported in the Budget Committee's second concurrent resolution, are tight. I would hope that not only the Goldwater amendment would succeed but it is my strong wish the conferees will reduce spending programs closer to the level passed by the other body.