Delay tanker five years?

CQPolitics reports that the White House wants to delay buying aerial refueling tankers by five years. The recommendation is part of negotiations between the Office of Management and Budget and the Defense Department. If the guidance survives the internal budget process, Capitol Hill is likely to protest. According to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., whose state would assemble the planes if the Northrop Grumman/EADS team wins: "For a group who has been in the OMB for just a matter of weeks to come in and suggest the cancellation of the No. 1 Air Force priority for procurement is stunning, and I don’t think Congress will accept that." Boeing is also competing to build the tankers. (Source: CQPolitics, 03/09/09)