Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - January 25, 2007)
By Mr. WYDEN:
S. 387. A bill to prohibit the sale by the Department of Defense of parts for F-14 fighter aircraft; to the Committee on Armed Services.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to bring to light an important issue which threatens our national security and begs the attention of Congress. The legislation I propose today seeks to end the Iranian government's acquisition of sensitive military equipment by blocking the Pentagon's sale of F-14 fighter jet parts.
It is the sensitive job of the Department of Defense to demilitarize and auction off surplus military equipment. However, recent investigations and reports have uncovered a frightening trend regarding the sale of F-14 ``Tomcat' aircraft parts. U.S. customs agents have discovered F-14 parts being illegally shipped to Iran by brokers who bought F-14 surplus equipment from Department of Defense auctions.
Other than the United States, Iran is the only Nation to fly the F-14. The U.S. allowed Iran to buy 79 F-14s before its revolution in 1979. Fortunately, most of Iran's F-14s are currently grounded for lack of parts.
We know that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability. We know that the Department of State has identified Iran as the most active state sponsor of terrorism. We know that the sale of spare parts for F-14s could make it more difficult to confront the nuclear weapons capability of Iran. And yet F-14 parts are still being sold by the DoD.
Iran's F-14s, especially with the parts to get more of them airborne, greatly strengthen its ground war potential, harming our national and global security. Our country should be doing everything possible to deny the brutal regime in Tehran access to spare parts for their F-14 fleet.
The Department of Defense will tell you that it is already taking action to control the sale of F-14 parts. A few times a year they change the restriction on the sale of F-14 parts. But history has shown us that these rules are not enough. The Department has been caught still selling F-14 parts, even when its rules forbid it. It has sold F-14 parts to companies that have turned out to be fronts for the Iranians. More recently, the DoD sold sensitive technology, including classified F-14 parts to undercover GAO investigators.
My intention with this bill is to make it crystal clear to the Department of Defense that it may not sell any F-14 parts to anyone for any reason. There should be no chance for the parts to make their way to the Iranians.
Additionally, my bill would prohibit the export of any F-14 parts that have already been sold. This prevents the parts from ending up in Iran through even the most roundabout route.
I am not trying to reform the entire military surplus sales process. I am confident that the Armed Services Committee will continue its investigations and propose some much needed changes. My bill would simply fix a very specific, but very important, problem: the sale of F-14 components that end up in the hands of Iran.
I urge the members of the Senate to support this bill.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 387
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