(AP) -- Two members of South Carolina's congressional delegation say they will urge the Department of Defense to base new F-35 fighters at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station.
The Beaufort Gazette reported U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson assured local business leaders Monday they are doing all they can to bring the new joint strike fighters to the state.
The Defense Department is expected to decide by December how to divide 13 new F-35 squadrons between Beaufort and the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, N.C.
Graham says lawmakers will push hard during the next several months. He says Beaufort has had a bond with the military for generations and bases are the "economic heart and soul" of the area.
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