07.07.08

Cantwell Urges Armed Services Committee to Hold a Hearing on Air Force's Tanker Decision

Hearing Would Address Classified Issues, National Security Implications and Wider Problems with Defense Procurement Policies

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent the following letter to Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) of the Senate Committee on Armed Services requesting a closed door hearing to address the national security implications of the Air Force's decision to award the tanker contract to Northrop/EADS over Boeing and the other mistakes made by the Air Force. Cantwell indicated that there are several classified issues of concern that must be fully investigated.
 
 
 [The text of the letter follows below]
 
July 7, 2008
 
Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI)
U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
 
Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ)
U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
 
Dear Chairman Levin and Ranking Member McCain:
 
I am writing to urge the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold a closed hearing this month to get to the bottom of the mistakes that the Air Force made in awarding the tanker contract and to determine whether there are wider problems with defense procurement policies and practices. I am specifically very troubled that the Department of Defense may not have fully considered the national security implications of the tanker decision. There are several classified issues of concern that must be fully investigated.
 
While national security issues were beyond the scope of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) consideration of the tanker contact protest, the GAO concluded last month that the Air Force made significant errors in awarding the tanker contract to Northrop Grumman /EADS. The GAO found that the Air Force miscalculated and underestimated costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, failed to check whether the Northrop/EADS tankers could refuel all planes in the fleet, and had “unequal” discussions with Boeing and Northrop/EADS.
 
It is critical for Congress to provide vigilant oversight and the Senate Armed Services Committee should hold a hearing to make sure that mistakes are not repeated in any rebid or reevaluation of the tanker contract.  Congress cannot allow the same team of Defense procurement officials to repeat these mistakes without vigilant oversight.  Later this week, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the tanker contract and it has previously been discussed in House and Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittees briefings and hearings.
 
Secretary Gates has indicated that he will be personally involved in subsequent decisions on the tanker contract. I hope the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the tanker contract and hold Secretary Gates accountable for providing the leadership that is necessary to ensure that the Department of Defense makes the best decisions for our national security and American war fighters and taxpayers.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
Maria Cantwell
 
 
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