Obama hails blocked bill to fund F-22 fighter jets

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday hailed the vote in Congress to strike down 1.75 billion US dollars in the fiscal 2010 defense budget bill that would fund more F-22 fighter jets.

"I'm grateful that the Senate just voted against an additional 1.75 billion dollars to buy F-22 fighter jets that military experts and members of both parties say we do not need," Obama said after the 58-40 vote by the Senate late on Tuesday.

"At a time when we are fighting two wars and facing a serious deficit, this would have been an inexcusable waste of money," the president said. "Every dollar of waste in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to support our troops or prepare for future threats or protect the American people.

"Our budget is a zero-sum game, and if more money goes to F-22s, it is our troops and citizens that loose," he added.

Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended to the president to end production of the F-22 at the conclusion of its current funding program in fiscal 2009, as part of his overhaul defense budget reform.