The Department of Defense announced its new priorities on Monday, with an emphasis on ditching some of the more outdated weapons in the U.S. arsenal. One of the weapons on the chopping block is the F-22 fighter jet, manufactured in large part by Boeing and championed by both Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA,6).

Now, as Congress gets fired up over different cuts in the Defense budget, it's unclear whether Murray or Dicks will jump back into the fray.

Back in January, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) actively campaigned the incoming Obama Administration to re-order Boeing F-22 jets as soon as the current order is up (Boeing sent $46,000 Murray's way between 2003 and 2008, making them her fourth-largest campaign contributer). “Continued F-22 production is critical to both the national security and economic interests of our country,” Murray said at the time. Boeing's F-22 division employs about 1,200 in Seattle.

Shortly afterward, Dicks and his own posse sent Obama a draft of a similarly-worded letter. But now, Rep. Dicks' office says he hasn't lined up behind other Congressmembers to criticize the defense budget, and won't until the options can be reviewed on the House floor when Congress goes back in session after the Easter recess. Even then, Dicks might be somewhat placated by the government's order of 31 Boeing F-18s, despite the fact that a few other Boeing projects are getting the axe in the defense budget.

"[Defense Secretary Robert] Gates was basically saying 'you have to cut your losses at some point,'" George Behan, Dicks' spokesperson, told PubliCola. "It's hard to take issue with that." Along with the controversial military contractor lobbyist, PMA, Boeing is Dicks all-time highest campaign contributer, feeding him about $131,750 over the years, according to OpenSecrets.org.

The Defense Department's budget, announced by Gates, puts four more F-22s on order—sixteen less than Boeing anticipated—before the government effectively cans their production by stopping their orders. Boeing, which is responsible for assembling a few major parts of the jets, has been tight-lipped about the cuts and their effects on the company. The company also wouldn't comment on whether they would continue pushing for the jet despite Gates's announcement.

Murray's office couldn't be reached this afternoon.