Senate Fight Over Marine One Stalls Bill (Dodd V Clinton & Schumer)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - A contract for a presidential helicopter fleet prompted a heated turf fight on the Senate floor Wednesday, stalling a major spending bill in what one lawmaker called "a sneak attack" by a fellow Democrat.

The surprise move by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., sent New York Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer scrambling to defend a contract that will bring hundreds of defense jobs to upstate Owego, N.Y., to build the next Marine One helicopter.

Dodd objects to the Navy awarding the $6.1 billion, 23-helicopter contract to Maryland-based Lockheed Martin and its international partners instead of Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft, which has manufactured the president's helicopter fleet since 1957.

The competition led to a running debate over whether, for reasons of national security, the president's helicopter should include foreign-made parts.

Dodd's measure would prohibit any European companies producing components of the US101 helicopter from doing business with terrorist-sponsoring states.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_go_co/presidential_helicopter