[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12506]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           AIR FORCE FIRINGS

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                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

  Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, with the recent firings at the Air 
Force, I am greatly concerned about the aerial refueling tanker 
contract that was awarded to a consortium dominated by Airbus.
  In its internal evaluations, the Air Force gave almost identical 
scores to both sides. Yet, they awarded this contract to a company that 
has never delivered a tanker with a refueling boom to be assembled in a 
factory that does not yet exist.
  EADS has pledged to incorporate about 60 percent U.S. content in its 
tanker. Yet, Boeing already has 85 percent U.S. content in its tanker.
  EADS has promised to create up to 48,000 jobs to Americans. However, 
a recent analysis concluded that EADS' job figure is closer to 14,000. 
The same study found Boeing would create at least twice as many U.S. 
jobs.
  The sad truth is that the bulk of the EADS tanker will be built in 
Europe. Yet, current policies prohibit the Pentagon from considering 
the U.S. industrial base during a major defense acquisition. This must 
change. We must have the ability to build the weapons necessary to 
defend ourselves to be a great nation. Even Adam Smith agrees.

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