For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), made the following statement in response to the new report from the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) that strongly warns the Department of Defense of the ramifications of not taking the domestic industrial base into account in procurement decisions:

 “This report echoes what I have been saying for years, that we need to have a serious national conversation about how procurement decisions affect our nation’s industrial base, including the aerospace workers that help our military meet its needs. At a time of economic recession, we can’t forget that the Pentagon’s decisions can make or break a workforce that our national security requires we keep strong.”

In a news release on the report issued yesterday, AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey, said, “The industrial base is the heart of our ability to supply our nation with the weapons systems it need. It is not a static entity, and as this study demonstrates, is highly vulnerable to market conditions and decisions by the Defense Department.”

Senator Murray has been sounding the alarm about a declining domestic aerospace industry for years. In May she worked to include a provision in the Defense Acquisitions Reform Act recently signed by the President that draws the attention of the Pentagon leadership to consider the effects of their decisions on our industrial base and its ability to meet our national security objectives. 

Senator Murray has questioned both Defense Secretary Gates as well as Air Force Secretary Donley on this issue, and pushed them hard to consider the domestic industrial base in their procurement decisions.