WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, the House of Representatives voted to approve the fiscal year 2013 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill.  Congressman Steve Austria (OH-Beavercreek), a member of the Appropriations Committee, secured a provision in the bill to protect Ohio’s Air National Guard.  As part of his veto threat, President Obama specifically singles out the provision championed by Congressman Austria that would save more than 1,000 Ohio Air National Guard jobs.

“The Defense Appropriations bill is essential to supporting our men and women serving in our military and maintaining a strong national defense.  We must ensure adequate funding is in place for our military to complete their important missions and get home safely.  Now the Senate needs to take action to prevent another short-term extension which hurts our military and the defense community that supports Wright Patterson Air Force Base,” Congressman Austria said.

Included in the FY13 DOD Appropriations bill is a provision, championed by Congressman Austria, that would ensure the men and women serving in the Air National Guard are not disproportionally impacted by the proposed budget cuts in the President’s Budget.  Specifically, this provision will save more than 1,000 Ohio Air National Guard jobs by protecting all 18 KC-135s at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base,intelligence efforts at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, and C-27Js located at Mansfield Air National Guard Base.  

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. 

“I am disappointed that the President has threatened to veto the Defense Appropriations bill, which induces language to protect the Air National Guard and prevent the layoff of more than 1,000 of Ohio’s heroes,” said Austria.  “I strongly urge 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.”

Language championed by Rep. Austria to address proposed cuts to the Air National Guard:

Sec. 8116. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to retire, divest, realign, or transfer Air Force aircraft, or to disestablish or convert units associated with such aircraft, or to disestablish or convert any unit of the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve.