McCain puts Pentagon on notice about tanker purchase
Concerned that the Pentagon may move forward during the recess with its plan to acquire Boeing tanker aircraft, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., on Thursday called on Michael Wynne, the Pentagon's acting acquisition chief, to provide him with a briefing detailing that purchase plan.
The plan is to execute any contracts for the planes by the end of 2003.
In a Nov. 20 letter to Wynne, who is the president's choice to fill the Pentagon's top civilian acquisition slot, McCain reminded him of a statement made during Wynne's confirmation hearing Tuesday, regarding new language authorizing the tanker acquisition in the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill. That language would allow the Air Force to lease up to 20 tankers and to buy no more than 80.
Some lawmakers and senior Pentagon officials have suggested the new law would allow the Air Force to delay paying for the 80 aircraft until they are delivered. But in response to McCain's questions during the hearing, Wynne had indicated that the language "requires payment at the time of order" and that the Defense Department will proceed in accordance with the law, McCain noted.
During the hearing, McCain referred to a Nov. 5 letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz that suggested the Pentagon will wait to request budget authority for acquiring the tankers until after Boeing delivers the aircraft "and, thereby, reduce anticipated savings by about half," McCain wrote. "I am pleased that the DoD will in fact not do so."
McCain noted that a recent Congressional Budget Office estimate of the acquisition approach mandated in the new authorizing statute could save as much as $5.3 billion, compared to the Air Force's original proposal to lease 100 tankers. In his letter, McCain asked Wynne to ensure compliance with the law's Title 10 requirements that call for 30 days written notice to the congressional defense committees of proposed contract and cancellation ceilings that exceed $100 million. He also requested a draft of the final contracts before they are executed -- something he has been seeking since late July.
McCain asked Wynne to respond by next Wednesday if he does not intend to provide a copy of the contracts.