The House Armed Services Committee voted in support of Rep. Marth McSally’s amendment to the NDAA to spare the A-10 tonight. The panel considered two amendments offered by two veterans and heard compelling arguments by A-10 supporters.
McSally blasted the “false choices” presented by Rep. Seth Moulton, who had offered an amendment that would have decimated the A-10 fleet. Her impassioned defense of the Warthog won the day.
During the debate over Rep. Martha McSally’s amendment, members of the House Armed Services Committee relied on a talking points sheet crafted by the USAF that misrepresented facts. That report prepared by the USAF contained “incorrect information” according to McSally, who asked her colleagues to dismiss it. According to the Air Force Times, the sheet warned “Congress that if it kept the A-10 in the service’s fleet, the Air Force would not have enough maintainers to work on the F-35.”
Arizona Rep. Trent Franks called the A-10 the “all-purpose sledgehammer of all time.” Rep. Ruben Gallego joined Franks in supporting the McSally amendment.
Rep. Richard Nugent offered the most compelling testimony when he recounted a conversation he had with his son. According to Nugent, his son said that while he was in Afghanistan he found that “‘when the A-10s came over – the bad guys scattered.'” His son advised him that when “the helicopters came over – they weren’t as afraid of the helicopter as they were of that A-10.
The vote fell mostly along party lines. Many members weren’t voting on the policy arguments. A-10 supporters should not look to this vote as a signal of their strength on the issue.
The USAF had initially tried to use sequester as an excuse for their plan to mothball the A-10. When that argument won little support, they attempted to portray A-10 supporters as emotional. When that didn’t work, General James Post and others warned Airmen that support for the A-10 could be treasonous. That didn’t work either and resulted in an investigation into Post’s comments.
Moulton’s false choice between the IED protection devices and the A-10 appeared to be the latest, and certainly the most fear-based effort.
McSally released a statement after the vote: “Southern Arizonans have seen continual threats to the A-10 Warthog, and unlike years past, my amendment will fully protect the Warthog next year. Not only does it prohibit the retirement of any A-10s, it prevents any additional back door attempts at mothballing these aircraft, such as placing them in backup status. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to make sure our troops on the ground have the support they deserve and that we don’t retire this critical capability without a replacement.”
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