The aerospace industry is a critical part of Washington state's economy that creates high-skill, family-wage jobs and marks our state as a leader in high-tech manufacturing. I will continue my work in Congress to champion efforts to improve and expand our state's robust aerospace industry and make sure the U.S. remains the world's aerospace leader. I am committed to working with the industry to create jobs, encourage educational and training opportunities, support innovative aerospace projects, and invest in our aerospace industry future.

Boeing Tanker Contract

Boeing is competing with EADS to build the next generation Air Force refueling tanker. I have repeatedly demanded that the Department of Defense take into account the illegal subsidies that EADS has received from foreign governments.

I worked with my Washington state colleague Rick Larsen to author the bipartisan Inslee-Tiahrt-Larsen Fair Defense Competition amendment to H.R. 5136, the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House nearly unanimously on May 27, 2010. This amendment requires that unfair competitive advantages, such as illegal launch aid subsidies, be considered in the defense contract procurement process. This measure will level the playing field in the next generation Air Force refueling tanker competition.

On June 30, the World Trade Organization issued a final ruling, making public its earlier finding that EADS received illegal subsidies from European governments over a period of four decades. The subsidies, termed "launch-aid", helped produce all of Airbus's large jets, including the A330, the basis for Airbus's KC-X offering. The subsidies came in the form of loans from European governments at below-market interest rates and have contributed to the loss of more than 65,000 U.S. aerospace jobs.

In response to this WTO final ruling, I joined twenty-three Members of Congress to send a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recommending that the Department of Defense ascertain the extent to which the illegal subsidies have given EADS an unfair competitive advantage in the tanker competition and begin taking steps to nullify that advantage.

Funding for Aerospace Workforce Training

I worked with the Washington state Senators Murray and Cantwell to secure $600,000 for FY 2010 for the Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center at Edmonds Community College. The Washington Aerospace Training Center will develop career pathways and cooperative K-20 education and training projects to strengthen Washington state’s advanced materials and manufacturing, which are key workforce training requirements to maintain Washington state’s leadership as a world aerospace hub.