Two Engines For A Single Engine Plane?
Imagine if, every time you made a significant purchase for your household, you bought a second item, just in case the first one didn’t work out. You’d feel sure of always having what you need on hand… except for the money you’d need to keep your household out of serious debt.
Until recently, however, this sort of redundancy was standard operating procedure in the Department of Defense. In order protect against contractor incompetence, the Pentagon would pay two companies to work on two equivalent versions of the same item, just in case one of the items didn’t work. Although it had the best of intentions, this approach enabled shoddy work to remain profitable. It rewarded incompetence, rather than replacing it. So, under Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Pentagon has attempted to stop funding for redundant projects.
Unfortunately, many members of Congress are reluctant to go along with these reforms. The reason: Powerful corporations operating in their districts profit greatly from the waste.
Yesterday, Congress had the opportunity to end a wasteful redundant military spending program, but chose instead to continue funding for it. The F-35 fighter aircraft is a single engine plane, but General Electric and Rolls-Royce have sought federal money to supply it with a second engine, just in case.
The extra engine costs billions of dollars in extra manufacturing and design costs. The Pentagon has begged Congress to stop funding for it. So, in an amendment to a military appropriations bill, Chellie Pingree sought to eliminate the spending.
The House of Representative voted to reject her amendment, with 231 votes against and only 193 in favor. It was not a partisan vote. 136 Democrats voted for the amendment to cut waste, but 115 Democrats voted against it. 57 Republicans voted in favor of Pingree’s anti-waste amendment. 116 Republicans voted against it, to continue the waste.