WASHINGTON _ The White House wants to grow the Air Force. Congress wants to send money home for defense equipment programs built in lawmakers' districts.
Those two goals will likely have to compete for scarce financial resources in the near future _ but a $667 billion defense spending bill Congress planned to approve Wednesday will jump start orders on dozens of new planes the Pentagon did not request, giving lawmaker's pet projects the inside track.
The defense legislation Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, shepherded through Congress includes funding for 16 additional F-35 aircraft _ assembled in her Fort Worth district _ as well as other models.
