Marshall votes against ending production of F-22

Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., voted Thursday against an amendment to the House defense spending bill that effectively ended production of the F-22 while, at his request, secured $67.5 million for the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command.

The so-called manager’s amendment was approved on the House floor, despite Marshall’s nay vote. The amendment was written by Senate Defense Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Jack Murtha, D.-Pa. A manager’s amendment rolls a series of projects together for one yay or nay vote.

Marshall, in an interview from his Washington office, said he objected to the inclusion of the new Marine One helicopter in the defense spending bill, a provision that President Obama has threatened to veto if it was included in the bill.

“I think the helicopter program has been troubled almost since day one,” Marshall said of the VH-71 program, referring to the program’s repeated reports of cost overruns. “If the president doesn’t want it, it’s his helicopter.”