(Washington, D.C.) – Today,
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on reports that
the Department of Defense has further delayed the awarding of the contract to
replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging aerial refueling tankers.
“These
endless delays come at the expense of our men and women in uniform, American
workers, and our economy. I want to hear directly from the Pentagon on why we
are again delaying this contract for a company that has had ample time to bid
and compete. I also want to know why we continue to bend over backwards to
accommodate an illegally subsidized foreign company.
“Concession
after concession has been made to keep Airbus at the table. Yet we have seen no
bid and no sign that they are willing to play by the rules. In fact, all we
have seen are delay tactics and repeated efforts to gain U.S. market share and
undercut American workers.
“Boeing’s
workers have the know-how and product to build these tankers. They are
ready to compete. It’s time to stop playing the waiting game and to move
forward with getting these tankers into the hands of our men and women in
uniform.”