Moran Presses Air Force to Rebid Tanker Contract

Press Release

Congressman Jerry Moran this week called on the Air Force to reopen its bidding selection for the KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) last week upheld Boeing's protest of the Air Force's decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman. Yesterday, the GAO released the details of its report, saying that Boeing would have likely won the bid had significant errors not been made.

"It is critical the Air Force start this competition over," Moran said. "Not only does it directly affect the work of our military men and women and the U.S. economy, it is important to regain the trust of the American people. The findings of the GAO report are disturbing and it is time the Air Force work to make it right."

Moran this week joined other Members of Congress in asking the Air Force Acting Secretary to take into account all of the GAO findings and re-open a fair competition in a manner that corrects the significant errors identified by the GAO. According to the GAO report, the Air Force failed to judge the competitive bids based on the Air Force's own evaluation criteria, made significant mistakes in considering the life cycle costs of each of the two aircraft and "conducted misleading and unequal discussions with Boeing."

Moran today sponsored legislation introduced by Congressman Todd Tiahrt that directs the Department of Defense to begin a new, fairer competition on the tanker contract if the Air Force fails to immediately award the contract to Boeing. The legislation calls on the Department of Defense to take into account national security considerations, industrial base concerns and foreign subsidies in the new competition.

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