How your tax dollars get wasted, chapter #2,478:

Lockheed Martin build the newest jet fighter the F-35 Lightning. It comes with, among other options, severe problems. The AF's version has an internal gun mount and it doesn't meet specs.

This Joint Strike Fighter JSF program has 837 unsolved deficiencies, including 13 directly affecting crew and craft. These need to be addressed and fixed prior to the next round of procurement. 

Yep, Congress wants more of these deficient-built fighters.

Instead of withholding funds, Congress surpassed what was requested in funding, earmarking for FY18 and 19, $4.5B to buy 36 more planes than the Def. Dept. asked for.

Chew on that one.

The FY2020 Def. spending bill signed into law last Dec, included $2b to buy 22 more planes than the Def. Dept asked for. All of these planes' deficiencies will also have to be repaired.

This JSF program has been in development for 18 years, is eight years behind schedule, and the cost overrun has nearly doubled, from $233B estimate to exceeding $428B.

Bloomberg article of Apr 2019 noted that lifetime ops and maint. will total about $1.2 TRILLION.

Since put into service, this plane has proven to be unreliable. None of the plane's three variants, NONE, met the Pentagon's five key reliability metrics. It's been grounded about 30% of the time.

Imagine, what $1.2 trillion could have done for our nation's: infrastructure, electrical grid, ATC grid, mental health facilities, inner-city improvements, homeless problem, schools, and so much more.

No wonder people are mad. Rightfully so, at a system that essentially has not changed since the end of WW II.