Ann Brickley, the Republican convention-endorsed candidate for the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, criticized Larson Wednesday, saying that "as the number four leader in the House of Representatives," he "should have been able to stop the funding of the wasteful development of a multi-billion dollar alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter."
Last Thursday, the U.S. House voted 231-193 to reject Larson's attempt to strip money from a defense bill for a General Electric-manufactured jet engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. If the amendment had passed, it likely would have given Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney a monopoly on the engine work, worth an estimated $100 billion over decades.
"In effect, Larson struck out on this issue," said Brickley, a Wethersfield businesswoman who still faces an Aug. 10 primary against Mark Zydanowicz for the GOP nomination. "During the past five years Congress has spent billions funding the development of a fighter engine that would compete with the Pratt and Whitney engine," Brickley said. "Last week, the House defeated ... an amendment that Larson co-sponsored that would have prevented funding of the alternate engine and saved the taxpayers $485 million."
However, Larson issued a statement Wednesday noting that a Senate committee now has approved a defense bill that contains no money for the alternate engine, and that President Barack Obama says that he will veto any bill that comes out of a Senate-House conference committee containing money for the alternate engine. He said he is committed to winning the fight in Connecticut's behalf and expects success in the end.