The Political Voices of Women

Outrage Over Air Force Outsourcing — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)

The United States Air Force is outsourcing 40,000 jobs, by awarding a $35 billion contract to a European company. What? You have got to be kidding me. More American jobs going to foreign countries?

From The Swamp – Tanker Deal Could Be Campaign Issue

As has been widely reported, the Air Force stunned almost everyone yesterday by deciding to award its huge, $35 billion contract for new airborne refueling tankers to a partnership formed by Northrop Grumman, the Los Angeles-based company, and EADS Inc., the European maker of Airbus airliners.

Boeing, headquartered in Chicago but with a large workforce in Washington State, was the big loser. Boeing had said that if it got the contract to build the new tanker based on its 767 airliner, it would provide enough work to keep 40,000 U.S. workers busy.

But Boeing lost. So the aircraft will be built in Europe, with the conversion work being done in Mobile, Ala. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Mobile operations would employ far fewer people than Boeing says it would have, apparently 1,200 to do the modification work.

Gateway Pundit: Outrage!

Over the past few years the Department of Defense has awarded defense contracts to European firms for the Presidential Helicopter, Coast Guard surveillance aircraft, Army helicopters, many other programs and now today the KC-30 tankers.

From Representative Tod Tiahrt – Tanker Outrage

I am outraged by the recent Air Force decision to award the KC-X Next Generation Air-fueling Tanker contract to a foreign competitor in the name of the Northrop Grumman/European Aeronautic Defence and Space Team.

An American tanker should be built by an American company with American workers. America must not outsource its national security. This decision shockingly creates French jobs in place of Kansas jobs. This is unacceptable.

I believe that the Tanker Competition was unfair and poorly evaluated, and if not overturned will negatively impact the United States for generations.

If allowed to stand, this contract award to a foreign company will:

1) Hurt American workers by the loss of U.S. jobs;
2) Outsource an essential military asset to Europe;
3) Force the United States to be dependent upon Europe for our national defense;
4) Result in an inferior tanker for the United States Air Force; and
5) Result in the US being more vulnerable at a time when we must be less vulnerable

I am urging the Air Force to reverse this dangerous decision to award the KC-X Tanker contract to the Northrop Grumman/European Aeronautic Defence and Space Team.

I invite you to take the following survey.

Todd Tiahrt
Member of Congress

Also See:

Wired – What’s Wrong With Our Tanker?

Huffington Post – McCain Still Considering Tanker Deal