House rejects Obama weapons cuts

WASHINGTON – The Democrat-controlled House went along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ plans to kill the over-budget F-22 fighter jet, but has rejected his efforts to cut off several other big ticket items.

Despite objections and veto threats from the White House, a $636 billion Pentagon spending bill passed by a 400-30 vote Thursday contains money for a much-criticized new presidential helicopter fleet, cargo jets that Gates says aren’t needed, and an alternative engine for the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that the Pentagon says is a waste of money.

It also contains $128 billion for Pentagon operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which would bring the total appropriated by Congress for those wars and other efforts to combat terrorism above $1 trillion.

The bill rejects Obama’s $100 million request for the Pentagon to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

It’s the last of the 12 annual spending bills to come to the House floor as Democrats meet their goal of passing all 12 bills before the August recess.

The Senate will deal with the spending measure in September.