Bush Urges Full Funding of Stealth Bomber as Skeptics Clamor for Cuts

President Bush made a last-minute pitch on Monday for full funding of the stealth bomber but skeptics in Congress appeared ready to place severe restraints on future production of the high-technology, boomerang-shaped aircraft.

As both the House and Senate began debate on a $305-billion bill funding the nation’s defense budget during fiscal 1990, the President summoned members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to the White House to lobby them to support his proposed military budget.

Bush described the bomber--also known as the B-2--as “a revolutionary plane with revolutionary technology” that is necessary for the nation’s security, despite the estimated $70 billion that the government would spend overall to purchase a total of 132 bombers under the Administration’s plan.

Justifies Spending

When asked by reporters how he could justify spending so much for the bomber at a time when other programs are being cut, the President replied: “I justify it because I think the prime responsibility of a President is the national security of the United States, and I’m determined to put forth a program that is sound in every way . . . . And I also justify it because when you look at the full defense program, I want to have maximum flexibility as we have in arms control negotiations.”

Likewise, in a letter to Congress, Bush argued against the view expressed by some members that the United States can begin to scale back on its financial commitment to strategic weapons in response to the peace gestures of Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

“We cannot afford to lower our defenses because of Gorbachev’s rhetoric,” he said.

While Bush’s proposal to spend $3.9 billion on the stealth bomber in fiscal 1990 appeared likely to clear the Senate with only minor adjustments, the request has spawned tremendous opposition in the House. Opponents include liberals as well as more conservative members whose home districts would lose Pentagon business as a result of the Administration’s proposal to eliminate several other weapons systems, such as the F-14D fighter plane and the V-22 Osprey helicopter.

Both opponents and supporters of the B-2 agree that the cost of the new bomber is--as Rep. William L. Dickenson (R-Ala.) put it--”astounding, it’s mind-boggling.”

House members will get an opportunity to vote on two amendments opposed by the Administration--one authored by Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Berkeley) that would end the stealth program in fiscal 1990 and another offered by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.) that would suspend funding until the stealth program is scaled down to make it more affordable.

Limited to 13 Bombers

The Dellums amendment, co-sponsored by Republican Reps. John R. Kasich of Ohio and John G. Rowland of Connecticut, would halt production of the B-2 after the Air Force takes possession of the 13 stealth bombers that Congress has already funded. The authors estimated it would generate a savings of about $8 billion a year in fiscal 1992 through fiscal 1994.

Under the proposal, according to Dellums, the $23 billion that the government has already spent on stealth would not go to waste since it has produced technological expertise that can be applied to other programs, such as the stealth cruise missile.

“Let’s make the best of an already bad bargain by cutting our costs and redirecting current research and development efforts to more long-term cost-efficient weapons programs,” Dellums told a news conference.

Aspin’s amendment would trim $470 million from the stealth program and freeze all spending until the Pentagon redesigns the program to make it more economical. In addition, Aspin would limit the Air Force to buying only two bombers in fiscal 1990--instead of five bombers, as the Administration has requested.

As in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the defense bill, spending for the B-2 under Aspin’s amendment would also be frozen until the aircraft has successfully completed its first series of flight tests.

The House is expected to vote on the stealth amendments on Wednesday.

Also in jeopardy in both the House and Senate is the Administration’s request for $4.6 billion for the so-called “Star Wars” space-based anti-missile system. While the Senate Armed Services Committee approved $4.5 billion for “Star Wars,” the House committee cut it to $3.8 billion, and the figure could be trimmed even further on the House and Senate floors.

As usual, the final spending level for “Star Wars” in fiscal 1990 is likely to be midway between the figures adopted in the House and Senate.

Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.) has called on the President to veto the defense spending bill if--as expected--the House adopts an amendment offered by Rep. Charles E. Bennett (D-Fla.) that would trim “Star Wars” back to $3.1 billion. Such a cut would assure delays in the President’s stated intention of deploying a strategic defense system by 1993, Wilson said.