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The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is applauding 126 bipartisan members of Congress who signed a letter urging the chairs and ranking members of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to provide robust funding for the F-35 Lightning II and F135 engine programs in the Fiscal Year 2027 defense budget.
The letter, led by U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Michael Turner (R-Ohio), John Larson (D-Conn.), and John Rutherford (R-Fla.), calls on Congress to support key FY27 priorities, including a minimum of 85 F-35 aircraft and related F135 engines, multiyear procurement authority, continued sustainment investments, critical modernization upgrades, and additional funding for the F135 Engine Core Upgrade.
IAM Union members are among the workers building the F-35 at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility and producing F135 engines at Pratt & Whitney facilities in Connecticut and across the country
“The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, and continued investment in this program is essential to maintaining U.S. air superiority and national defense,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “It is encouraging to see 126 members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle, standing up for our members who build this aircraft and help keep our military members safe.
The congressional letter highlights that the F-35 and F135 engine support more than 290,000 high-skilled jobs across more than 1,900 suppliers in nearly every state, with roughly half of those suppliers being small businesses.
Representatives urged other members of Congress to consider multiyear procurement authority for the F-35 program, which formally entered Full-Rate Production in 2023 and delivered 191 aircraft last year. They also called for additional FY27 investments in Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps spare parts to build on the $1.44 billion in FY26 sustainment funding that was provided to expand the F-35 and F135 sustainment enterprise.
The IAM Union will continue to advocate for full and robust funding of the F-35 and F135 programs as Congress moves through the FY27 defense authorization and appropriations process.
Read the complete letter here.
