Senate Grounds F-22 Money

The Senate has sided with the Obama administration in agreeing to cut off new spending for the F-22 jet fighter program. The 58-40 vote today removes $1.75 billion set aside in a defense policy bill to build seven more F-22 Raptors, adding to the 187 stealth fighters already in the pipeline.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that the Pentagon has enough of the $140 million jets to meet operational needs and President Obama threatened to veto the defense bill if Congress ignores the request that the program be terminated. But for many lawmakers, the F-22 means thousands of jobs for their state or district, and resistance to ending the program had been fierce. (More defense spending stories.)