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CONGRESSMAN AUSTRIA ENCOURAGES PRESIDENT OBAMA TO JOIN HIS FIGHT FOR OHIO AIR NATIONAL GUARD JOBS

Background

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Obama landed Air Force One at Mansfield Lahm Airport, home of the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.  The president was in Ohio on a political swing where he discussed bringing jobs to Ohio. Ironically, the place where his plane touched down is scheduled under the President’s defense budget plan to lose its mission and the jobs of the 800 Ohio Air Guard men and women who call the base home.

The Air National Guard provides 35 percent of the Air Force fighter, tanker, and airlift capabilities while costing only six percent of the overall budget of the Air Force.  Despite the enormous savings the Air National Guard provides to taxpayers, President Obama proposed, and most recently doubled down on a policy, to arbitrarily cut Air National Guard jobs by issuing a veto threat of the FY13 DOD Appropriations Bill. 

Statement

“This issue is more important than the President flying in to campaign for political purposes; it is about the men and women serving in the Ohio Air National Guard who have dedicated their lives to serving our state and our nation.  While I appreciate the President's sudden decision to now bring a new mission to Mansfield, he needs to lay out a detailed plan on how he intends to keep the nearly thousand jobs at stake in Mansfield, Rickenbacker and Springfield that were targeted for elimination in his budget.  Clearly, there is a disconnect between this administration and the important missions that are being done by the Ohio Air National Guard,” said Congressman Austria

“I expressed my disappointed regarding the President’s earlier threat to veto the Defense Appropriations bill, which has already passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate and includes  language to protect the Air National Guard,  preventing the layoff of more than 1,000 of Ohio’s heroes,” said Congressman Steve Austria.  “I have strongly urged the President to drop his veto threat, and work with the Congress and Air Force to find efficiencies before disproportionately cutting our reservists and the National Guard.  What’s important to remember is that we are fighting for these men and woman of the Air Guard who are sacrificing for our state and nation.  I encourage the president to join me in that fight,” stated Congressman Austria.

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