By Josh Rogin, CQ Staff

The congressional fight over the F-22 fighter moves to the House on Wednesday as appropriators continue their drive to save the program over President Obama’s objections.

The House Appropriations Committee will vote on its version of the fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill, which emerged from subcommittee with $369 million worth of F-22 funding, enough to purchase advance parts for 12 planes.

House members of both parties are standing behind their effort to save the F-22, despite the Senate’s decision Tuesday to strip its defense policy bill (S 1390) of $1.75 billion for the fighter.

House supporters of the aircraft argue that the administration and other critics of the fighter will be more amenable to their chamber’s provision for two reasons: It is more frugal than the Senate’s version, and it allows both sides to save face by postponing a final decision on the plane’s fate.

“The Senate vote was discouraging, but there’s still a possibility with this advance procurement money that the line can remain open,” said Phil Gingrey , R-Ga., whose district includes some assets of Lockheed Martin, the plane’s lead contractor.

The potential for making foreign sales of the F-22, especially to Japan, would be extinguished if the line were allowed to shut down, Gingrey added.

President Obama has promised to veto any bill that includes additional F-22 money, and administration officials have actively sought to persuade members of Congress to go along with his request.

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee’s $636.3 billion defense bill is $3.8 billion less than Obama’s budget request and includes $128.3 billion for war operations next year.

The subcommittee’s ranking Republican, C.W. Bill Young of Florida, said the measure should remain largely intact at the full committee markup due to the bipartisan construction of the bill.

“I don’t think it will change much at all,” Young said.