WTO Airbus Tanker Ruling

Floor Speech

Madam Speaker, after 23 straight months of job losses, we must do more to preserve and to create American jobs, and we must ensure a fair and a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers.

The World Trade Organization recently found that Airbus has been receiving illegal subsidies that violate global rules and stifle real competition in the aerospace industry. We should not reward these illegal trade practices. As such, the Pentagon should take into account this ruling when considering bids for the next generation air refueling tanker contract.

Awarding this contract to Airbus means the loss of at least 14,000 American jobs to Europe. In today's economy, we cannot afford any more job loss. We cannot continue to allow our foreign competitors an unfair economic advantage nor can we let our domestic defense manufacturing base erode as we have.

I strongly urge the Department of Defense to consider these billions of dollars in illegal European subsidies. When bidding the tanker contract, it is time to put our workers, American workers, and our security first.

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