[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 43 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1622-H1623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
OUTSOURCING NATIONAL DEFENSE
(Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the next Air Force plane that you will see in
the air will be branded with ``Made in France'' on the side of it. Not
only France but Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom will be making
170 or more of the new Air Force supertankers built by that European
subsidized company, Airbus.
This $40 billion contract will rob thousands of workers of Boeing
Company of their jobs. Why is our Air Force outsourcing national
defense to the Europeans, of all people? Aren't they the ones that take
every opportunity to bash our U.S. military?
The Air Force is trying to do damage control by saying the Airbus is
better than the Boeing plane.
Madam Speaker, that dog just won't hunt. U.S.-built planes have been
successfully defending our skies and our homeland since before World
War II. We are not talking about outsourcing some cheap Wal-Mart
product that's made in China. We are talking about outsourcing
sensitive military equipment. Some things should always be made in
America, by Americans, for Americans.
[[Page H1623]]
What's next? Is the Air Force going to outsource those airplane crews
with the French as well?
And that's just the way it is.
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