U.S. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Kit
Bond, R-Mo., launched the United States Senate Aerospace Caucus on
Thursday with a luncheon featuring Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
Michael Donley.
“(W)e know what happens to an industry in our country when it doesn’t
have a plan for the future. The U.S. auto industry give us a fresh and
painful cautionary tale,” Murray said, according to a printed copy of
her remarks.
“Today we are all here to avoid the same fate for our Aerospace
industry, an industry that provides family-wage jobs, meets our
military’s most critical needs, and is the backbone of economic growth
in states like mine,” she added. “Today, we are here to join together as
political, industry, and military leaders to ensure that the Aerospace
industry has the durability to survive changing economic times, the
innovative ideas to succeed in the future, and the investment to compete
on the international stage.”
The U.S. needs a “clear national strategy,” focusing on education,
innovation, reform of defense acquisition and infrastructure and
technology investment, Murray said.
In a news release, Bond said: “Senator Murray and I formed this
caucus as a bipartisan effort to protect and advocate for a strong,
secure and competitive American Aerospace industry. Keeping the American
Aerospace industry strong for today, and tomorrow, is crucial to our
national defense and economic security.”
In a separate statement, Aerospace Industries Association President
and Chief Executive Marion Blakey called the caucus “an important forum
for senators, their staff and representatives from the aerospace
industry to discuss issues that impact the nation’s defense, civil
aviation and space sectors.”
The senators said they created the caucus to provide oversight of
aerospace defense programs, promote government spending on U.S. aviation
infrastructure and development, ensure a competitive industrial base,
and promote education and workforce development programs that prepare
Americans for careers in the aerospace industry.
In addition to Murray and Bond, who chair the caucus, the group
currently has 20 senators. Notably missing at this point are Republican
Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, of Alabama, which is home to
major aerospace programs and would be the site of EADS North America’s
aerial refueling tanker
assembly line should the company beat out Boeing for the lucrative
contract.
Matt McAlvanah, Murray’s press secretary, said all senators have been
invited to join the caucus.
In addition to Murray and Bond, the initial members are:
- Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
- Mark Begich, D-Alaska
-
Michael Bennet, D-Colo. - Robert Bennett, R-Utah
- Sam
Brownback, R-Kan. - Richard Burr, R-N.C.
- Roland Burris,
D-Ill. - Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.
- Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
-
John Cornyn, R-Texas - Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.
- John
Ensign, R-Nevada - Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas
- James
Inhofe, R-Oklahoma - Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
- Claire
McCaskill, D-Mo. - James Risch, R-Idaho
- Pat Roberts,
R-Kan. - David Vitter, R-La.
- John Tester, D-Mont.
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