Politicians from Boeing-heavy states are waging a loud, public campaign to get the Pentagon to consider a recent World Trade Organization ruling in the bid process for new Air Force aerial refueling tankers.
"Much is at stake in this competition and I want to ensure the actions of the (Department of Defense) do not unintentionally penalize our domestic industry which has already lost market share, or for that matter, further injure our American workforce who has suffered job loss in this critical economic sector," U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote in a publicly released letter Tuesday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In Tuesday's letter and a Monday letter to President Obama, Murray noted this month's preliminary WTO ruling that European Union governments illegally subsidized Airbus, whose parent, EADS, has teamed up with Northrop Grumman to bid against Boeing for the new tanker.
The Northrop-EADS team won the competition last year, but the Pentagon decided to redo the contract after congressional auditors found serious flaws in the process. The Pentagon is expected to release a new request for tanker proposals later this month.
Murray's latest letter appeared to respond to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley's comments Monday, at the Air Force Association conference, that the Pentagon would not factor the ruling into its tanker bid process. Donley noted that the ruling was not final and that a European counter-claim about U.S. aid to Boeing was still pending.
Gates is scheduled to address the Air Force Association conference Wednesday morning.
In her letter to Obama about the WTO ruling, Murray wrote: "I urge you to take the strongest possible action to prevent further harm from being inflicted on the American aerospace industry."
"Much is at stake in this competition and I want to ensure the actions of the (Department of Defense) do not unintentionally penalize our domestic industry which has already lost market share, or for that matter, further injure our American workforce who has suffered job loss in this critical economic sector," U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote in a publicly released letter Tuesday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In Tuesday's letter and a Monday letter to President Obama, Murray noted this month's preliminary WTO ruling that European Union governments illegally subsidized Airbus, whose parent, EADS, has teamed up with Northrop Grumman to bid against Boeing for the new tanker.
The Northrop-EADS team won the competition last year, but the Pentagon decided to redo the contract after congressional auditors found serious flaws in the process. The Pentagon is expected to release a new request for tanker proposals later this month.
Murray's latest letter appeared to respond to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley's comments Monday, at the Air Force Association conference, that the Pentagon would not factor the ruling into its tanker bid process. Donley noted that the ruling was not final and that a European counter-claim about U.S. aid to Boeing was still pending.
Gates is scheduled to address the Air Force Association conference Wednesday morning.
In her letter to Obama about the WTO ruling, Murray wrote: "I urge you to take the strongest possible action to prevent further harm from being inflicted on the American aerospace industry."
A Northrop Grumman-EADS tanker, based on an Airbus A330, refuels a B-2 bomber in this artist's rendering. (Northrop Grumman-EADS North America image)On Tuesday, 47 U.S. representatives, including Washington Democrat Rick Larsen, released a letter to President Obama saying the tanker bid should account for the WTO ruling.
"Buying Airbus tankers would reward European governments with Department of Defense dollars at the same time that the U.S. Trade Representative is trying to punish European governments for flouting international laws," they wrote.
On the opposing side, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., wrote last week to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that tying the WTO ruling to the tanker "would be a grave mistake, with severe consequences to both our economy and trade relations." The Northrop-EADS team would assemble its tanker in Alabama.
The White House referred questions about the recent letters to Kirk's office. Kirk spokeswoman Debbie Mesloh said the office "cannot discuss contents of the interim report and our agency is not involved in the Air Force's procurement decision."
Meanwhile, Boeing announced details of possible 767- and 777-based tankers Monday, and launch of a new tanker Web site: UnitedStatesTanker.com.
The site's name appears intended to underscore the fact that Boeing is an American company, while EADS isn't. Similarly, the Northrop-EADS tanker site, AmericasNewTanker.com, aims to emphasize that their tanker would be assembled in the U.S., with dozens of American suppliers.
Fonte: Seattle Business.
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