Senator Murray’s Statement on Airbus Decision Not to Protest Tanker Contract Award

“There is no doubt about it, the tanker will be built
in Washington state by Washington workers.

“While this is a tremendous win for jobs and the
economy of our state, it’s also a huge step forward toward meeting the needs of
our men and women in uniform.

“I made sure that the Pentagon put the needs of those
who will fly and maintain these tankers first.  I told them our Air Force
needed a straightforward process that would lead to a clear winner, not the
subjective decision making that has continually delayed getting these planes
into the hands of our men and women in uniform.

“Thankfully, this competition produced a clear winner
ready to deliver for our military and, as we see today, it greatly reduced the
possibility of a protest that would have left those charged with defending our
country empty-handed once again.

“I know that Boeing is ready to start building these
tankers immediately. Just last week I spoke to many of the workers on the floor
of the 767 plant in Everett who are hungry to deliver for our military, and I
saw the major investments Boeing has made to their plant to prepare for this
undertaking.

“It’s time to get these tankers into the hands of our
men and women in uniform, and there is no one I would rather have driving that
effort than the workers of our state.”