GovernmentExecutive.com

House Armed Services ranking member Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., may attempt to use the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill to overturn Friday's Air Force decision to award a contract worth up to $40 billion to Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS, the European consortium behind Airbus, for a new fleet of aerial refueling tankers. Hunter, a fierce "Buy America" advocate who has sharply criticized the contract, is weighing his legislative options, a spokesman for committee Republicans said Monday. Options may include attaching language to the authorization bill to strengthen laws governing the amount of foreign content in U.S. defense hardware, or a provision prohibiting the Pentagon from awarding contracts to overseas-based companies that receive subsidies from foreign governments, as the Airbus maker does from several European countries, the spokesman said.

Hunter, whose protectionist efforts are typically met with strong opposition in the Senate, included a provision on foreign-subsidized firms in the House's version of the fiscal 2006 authorization bill, but it was dropped during conference negotiations. Hunter is trying to determine "what makes the most logical sense and what we can get others to coalesce around," his spokesman said.

The contract award to Northrop Grumman/EADS dealt a stunning blow to Boeing Co., the domestic aerospace giant that has had a lock on building Air Force tankers for over 50 years. Given Boeing's clout on Capitol Hill, Hunter could win support from several Armed Services Committee members, including Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., whose district includes the headquarters of Boeing's defense business. An Akin spokesman did not know whether his boss had discussed the issue with Hunter, but said the two lawmakers are "of a similar mind on this." At least two committee Democrats -- Terrorism Subcommittee Chairman Adam Smith of Washington, and Rep. Nancy Boyda of Kansas -- have criticized the award, but it is not clear if they would support Hunter's efforts. Boeing planned to build the tanker at its plant in Everett, Wash., near Smith's district. The firm would have used its plant in Wichita, Kan., west of Boyda's district, for final assembly.

But Hunter would likely encounter stiff resistance from many lawmakers -- including some traditional allies, such as Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. Airbus plans to build the tankers at a plant in Mobile, Ala. The company says will employ 5,000 people across the state. Hunter's committee colleague, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., has praised the contract, saying the Mobile plant is expected to employ people from his northwest Florida district about 60 miles away.

Hunter plans to coordinate his efforts with appropriators, his spokesman added. His strongest allies on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee may be Reps. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., whose district includes Boeing's Everett plant, and Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., whose district includes Wichita. Dicks said Friday that he believes the Air Force contract decision would be met with "real skepticism among the defense related committees in Congress." Meanwhile, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who sits on the Senate Defense Appropriations panel, has said she looks forward to "asking tough questions."

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who also sits on the defense subcommittee, would be expected to fight any effort to use the Defense spending bill to kill the Northrop Grumman/EADS contract.

COMMENTS

• "I do not mean to be disrespectful but contracting officers are just power hunger offsets that get off on trying to dictate to money hingry corporations. They no more have the end user in mind than they have a clue how to fix the aquisition process. Congress has the right, they make the law and they cn decide the current law is not fair to America in a time of recession. Why do all the liberals constently think our laws and consitiution applies to the whole world. IT DOES NOT, so get over it and be ready for change all the time..." What is a "power hungry offset?" It would be undemocratic if congress overturned a valid contract award for ANY political reason. I am a long-time CO who cannot wait to retire, because this job absolutely stinks. Everybody's a CO, just like on Monday morning, when everybody's a quarterback. It takes monumental effort to award a contract the size of this tanker deal, which may now all be wasted because the CO didn't get the right answer. CO's are hardly power hungry-it just that we are the ONLY ones with warrants giving us the authority to sign contracts on behalf of the Government, so if an illegal award is made, we pay the price, not congress or any of the rest of you know-it-alls. What a bunch of crap. Stop Trashing Contracting Officers! Posted March 18, 2008 5:26 PM
• i can not believe the approval of this or any outsourcing contracts to foreign governments which leaves us expose to these countries whether foe or friend alike.besides we subsidize thes countries with foreign aid which should be elimated or cut back.all these agreements should be review & changed if we are at a disadvantage.does the congress/the president/gov't agencies think the people realize that the lobbies effect their thinking in voting their way.this form of corruption must stop!this knuckle head in the white house lacks the foresight & thinking to run anything.he does not walk his talk!pls change any packs w/foreign gov'ts that we are giving away our soveignt for our childrens future & america's future. louis a sandomenico Posted March 13, 2008 11:04 AM
• I do not mean to be disrespectful but contracting officers are just power hunger offsets that get off on trying to dictate to money hingry corporations. They no more have the end user in mind than they have a clue how to fix the aquisition process. Congress has the right, they make the law and they cn decide the current law is not fair to America in a time of recession. Why do all the liberals constently think our laws and consitiution applies to the whole world. IT DOES NOT, so get over it and be ready for change all the time... Bill Posted March 11, 2008 2:08 PM