Press Releases

Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.Res. 1010, a resolution introduced by Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) in support of providing on-time funding to rebuild and modernize the U.S. Air Force. The resolution highlights the critical need for Congress to act and deliver regular and robust funding to restore the Air Force’s readiness and strengthen their ability to meet ongoing and unexpected national security threats. As a member of the House Budget Committee and Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, Arrington has consistently called for Congress to pass regular funding for our the military and has fought for budgetary reforms that will establish accountability and certainty in the government funding process. “Throughout our nation’s history, our airmen have always answered the call of duty. They should not pay the price because Congress has failed to fulfill ours to fully fund our military and do it on time,” said Arrington. “The United States Air Force faces tremendous readiness challenges, reflected in a shrinking and dilapidated aircraft fleet, insufficient personnel and dangerous levels of deferred maintenance, all of which are due in large part to budgetary uncertainty which impedes the Air Force’s ability to meet our national security threats. If we don’t reverse this trend, we as a nation will leave ourselves and our children vulnerable at a time of escalating threats and increasing instability around the world. That is why we need to give the Air Force the quantity and the certainty of resources that matches the caliber of our airmen and their enormous commitment to that sacred duty of protecting our fellow Americans. If we do this, our Air Force can continue safeguarding the skies, remaining the greatest fighting force in the world. “I know that the fine men and women who serve at Dyess Air Force Base and throughout our armed services are doing all that they can every day for our nation’s defense and we, as Congress, must do all that we can to support them. My hope is that this resolution will strengthen Congress’ resolve to pass long-term funding bills that provide on-time, robust funding to give our military the certainty and resources it needs.” BACKGROUND The U.S. Air Force is currently the oldest and smallest in its history. More than a quarter of the Air Force’s fighter-pilot positions are unfilled. The Air Force has just 18,000 of the roughly 20,000 pilots it needs to crew its 5,500 fighters, bombers, airlifters, cargo planes, and rescue helicopters. This 10% gap in its air crew requirement could, as Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said, “break the force”. Almost one-third of the Air Force’s aircraft were not flyable, or mission-capable, at any given time in fiscal year 2017. Over the last decade, the total number of aircraft in the Air Force has been on a downward slope, and the total number of aircraft in the Air Force will drop again from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2018. The average age of an aircraft, forcewide, increased from 24 years in fiscal year 2010 to 27.6 years in fiscal year 2017. Between fiscal years 2013 and 2017, accidents involving all Defense Department warplanes rose nearly 40%.