Ryan Ray
U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham is reaching across the aisle in an effort to bring the F-35 fighter jet to Florida.
The freshman Democrat from Tallahassee co-wrote letters with U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen addressed to top Air Force brass asking them to consider expanding USAF’s presence across Florida.
“We must ensure that the Jacksonville [Air National Guard] base is armed with the most advanced fighter jet in the Department of Defense arsenal,” Graham and Crenshaw wrote to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. “We are confident that your review will show that the base in Jacksonville is capable of supporting these aircraft and that doing so would be beneficial to the region, state, and security of the nation.”
Graham, who holds a coveted spot on the House Armed Services Committee, made a similar argument in helping Ros-Lehtinen bring the F-35 to the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Miami-Dade County.
Bipartisanship has been a staple of Graham’s brief tenure in Congress. She has, to the chagrin of many of her supporters, refused to raise money to support Democratic colleagues against Florida Republicans, arguing such a move — common across the nation — would diminish cooperation among the state’s delegation.
“I believe we need to work together as a Congressional delegation in the best interest of our state, regardless of political party,” Graham said in a statement Friday.
“Florida military installations account for more than 750,000 jobs and contribute $73 billion to our economy — that’s more than nine percent of the state’s economic footprint. Expanding the Air Force’s presence with the F-35 is a smart move for the defense of our nation, and it will create jobs and grow our economy,” Graham continued.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Patrick Murphy and Alcee Hastings and Republicans Mario Diaz-Balart, David Jolly, Curt Clawson, Carlos Curbelo, and Jeff Miller also signed on to the Homestead letter along with Graham.
