8/3/2019 2011.12.15 - Letter - F35 Fighter Funding

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December 15, 2011

The Honorable Can Le\1nU.S. Senator269 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Le\1n:As we work to get our economy on track and reCO\A9rrom the recession that hurt so many Americans, weneed to focus on the types of projects that promise long term innovation and stabil ity for our country. Withthe military looking to replace its aging fighter aircraft fleet with the state-of-the-art F-35, we have a rareopportunity to put Americans back to work and build on an industry where our country retains a competitiveadvantage.The F-35 program has already created important high technology aerospace jobs that help to build the kindof highly skilled workforce our nation needs to remain competitlve and prosperous. With 127,000 peopledirectly and indirectly employed by the program, the F-35 is already an important job creator. Thesenumbers will continue to grow as the program reaches full rate production.I write in support of the more than two dozen high-tech job provders in Michigan - one of them is located inJackson - who are part of the F-35 supplier base for Lockheed Martin. O\A9r2,500 direct and indirect jobsare currently located at F-35 suppliers in Michigan because this project. As you know, our state is sti lldealing with double-digit unemployment. We need these highly-advanced technology jobs to be sustainedand grow in the near future if Michigan is to ever reCO\A9rrom this severe economic downtum.Unfortunately, there are some in the current Congress who are contemplating cuts in the F-35 program.think that's a bad idea. The F-35 production facility and supply chain were designed to maximizeefficiencies and minimize costs with increased volume. Any slowdown in production now will increase costsand delay initial deliveries to our military. Reducing the number of F-35s we invest in also means lessinvestment into a sector that provdes much needed jobs here in our state. With component parts comingfrom suppliers from across the country, reducing the number of F-35s we buy or even slowing downproduction will hurt more than just our national security.These are the kinds of projects that help us remain competitive with countries like China and Russia, whoare making inroads on their own fighter jets. Working on the F-35, the most advanced fighter ever developed,shows the continued value and ingenuity of the American worker.As you go about the process of making critical decisions that will affect our nation's future, I urge you tosupport full funding for the F-35 - an important fixture for our nation's military security and a much neededjob creator.

De obiesCity CouncilmanJackson, MI

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