For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced a Senate Resolution that recognizes the importance of aerial refueling tankers to our nation's military and calls on the Pentagon to re-bid the flawed tanker contract. The Resolution comes after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a scathing sixty-seven page decision that found that the tanker competition – which awarded the contract to the foreign-owned and subsidized company Airbus - was neither transparent nor fair. The Resolution also comes as the Pentagon prepares to answer the GAO's recommendation to re-bid the contract.

"The GAO's decision was clear and today we are reiterating that message so that the Pentagon knows there is no wiggle room," said Senator Murray. "It's time to go back and hold a truly transparent competition that does our warfighters and taxpayers justice."

The Resolution that was introduced today is also sponsored by Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

The text of the Resolution follows:

110TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION

Recognizing the need for rapid recapitalization of the KC-135 aerial refueling fleet through re-competition of the United States Air Force’s KC-X solicitation.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. BOND, Mr. ROBERTS, Mrs. MCCASKILL, submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the need for rapid recapitalization of the KC-135 aerial refueling fleet through re-competition of the United States Air Force’s KC-X solicitation.

Whereas aerial refueling tankers are the backbone of the worldwide airpower capability of the United States;

Whereas the United States Air Force fleet of KC-135 aerial refueling tankers is aging and needs to be recapitalized; and

Whereas recapitalization of the KC-135 medium-sized aerial
refueling tanker is the top acquisition priority of the United States Air Force:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) encourages the United States Air Force to quickly re-compete the KC-X solicitation on the terms the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended in its June 18, 2008, decision;

(2) recognizes that a rapid, thorough, and fair re-competition under the terms of the original KC-X request for proposals is the best way to provide the United States Air Force with next-generation aerial refueling tanker capability in a timely manner;

(3) recognizes that the KC-X solicitation is the first phase of a three-phased strategy for recapitalizing the tanker fleet, and that the KC-X solicitation should be based on a full and transparent competition to select a single aircraft design; and

(4) supports the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office that ‘‘the Air Force reopen discussions with the offerors, obtain revised proposals, re-evaluate the revised proposals, and make a new source selection decision, consistent with this decision.’’