For Immediate Release

July 18, 2003

CONGRESSIONAL PANEL APPROVES 767 LEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pentagon's plan to lease 100 Boeing 767 aircraft to serve as aerial refueling tankers received a key endorsement today as the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee gave its approval to the lease arrangement, said U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who serves on the defense funding panel in the House.

            The Subcommittee Chairman, U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), expressed the panel's official approval of the lease plan, submitted July 11th to the four defense-related committees in Congress.  In a letter to the Air Force today, Rep. Lewis stated that the Committee had "reviewed (the) request to initiate a Training Systems Requirement Analysis in support of a contract award to lease 100 KC-176 air-refueling tankers.  The Committee interposes no objection to the proposed new start and award of the tanker lease contract."

            "This is an important step, representing swift approval of the tanker leasing plan," said Rep. Dicks.  "This is a cost-effective opportunity for the Defense Department to replace the 43-year old tankers that give our Air Force the reach we need to meet all of our near and long-term military contingencies," he added.

            "I look forward to the prompt approval in the other committees so we can proceed with the production of these tankers," Dicks stated.

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