National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, we can give a $35 billion contract for the next generation tanker to an American company, Boeing, creating an estimated 62,000 to 70,000 U.S. jobs over the life of the contract. Or we can give the contract to a European company, Airbus/EADS, thus creating tens of thousands of jobs in Europe.

This should be an easy call, a no-brainer. In fact, the decision is even clearer. We now know that Airbus has been provided almost $6 billion in illegal subsidies from European governments, subsidies which have cost us an estimated 65,000 U.S. aerospace jobs.

The amendment before us directs the Department of Defense to take any unfair competitive advantage into account in the Air Force tanker competition. The Pentagon should not be rewarding bad behavior. U.S. taxpayers should not be asked to pay for an overseas jobs creation program for the European aerospace industry.

I urge my colleagues, support this amendment, stand up for American workers and basic fairness in tanker competition.

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