
Lawmakers want the Pentagon to procure 98 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in fiscal year 2021, 19 more than were included in the department’s budget request, according to a letter sent March 17 from 130 members of Congress to top House authorizers and appropriators. The letter was led by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), co-chair of the Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus. In a Wednesday statement, Larson said it is “imperative that we continue to support our nation’s only fifth-generation fighter.” The…