Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on the full text of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s report out today on the Air Force’s procurement process for the approximately $35 billion tanker program.  Larsen’s congressional district is home to Boeing’s Everett plant, production site for the 767 airframe which Boeing would use to build the next generation of refueling tankers for our military.
 
“The full text of the GAO’s decision makes it crystal clear that the tanker contract needs to be reopened, reevaluated and rebid.  For Boeing workers and American taxpayers, this report can be summed up in two words: “rebid and rejoice!”

“The GAO has determined that the Air Force made a number of significant errors in their selection of the Airbus/EADS proposal.  Among other errors, the Air Force failed to adequately evaluate the lower cost and greater capabilities of the Boeing tanker.  They failed to follow their own criteria in evaluating the tankers’ capabilities. And they failed to take into account the higher military construction costs of the Airbus/ EADS proposal.

“The GAO has also determined that the Air Force’s evaluation of the fuel costs of the two proposals did not go far enough.  The GAO report finds that even a small difference in fuel efficiency “would have a dramatic impact on the overall fuel costs”.  When the Air Force reconsiders their selection, they must take into account the superior fuel efficiency of the Boeing tanker and the money this will save the American taxpayer.

“The GAO report states that, but for the Air Force’s errors, “we believe that Boeing would have had a substantial chance of being selected” for the tanker contract.

“If, after reading this report, the Air Force thinks they can move forward with this contract without heeding the GAO’s recommendations and rebidding this contract, the problems at the Air Force go well beyond the tanker program.”