OWEGO, N.Y. -- It is still unclear whether or not the presidential helicopter program at Owego's Lockheed Martin will continue or come to an end.

On Tuesday, Senator Charles Schumer pledged to do what he could to convince the Secretary of Defense to keep the program going. Secretary Robert Gates is planning broad range cuts to big weapons programs, including the helicopter program.

Lockheed has already made four of the 28 Marine One helicopters.

Senator Schumer says he understands the financial concerns, but he supports scaling back to a less sophisticated model called the level one helicopter.

"The original cost estimates went way out of control and you can understand there is a need to bring them back into line, but level one would stick to the original costs, keep the 800 jobs in Owego and since the federal government has spent three billion on it already, it seems to make sense to continue and that's what we're going to try persuade the Secretary of Defense and if not the Congress to do," Schumer said.

Schumer says now is not the time to cut back when it comes to the safety of our nation's president.