Houston Chronicle

Twenty-five members of the Texas congressional delegation including Democrats and Republicans are challenging a decision by the Army to end production of medium sized combat trucks at a BAE Systems plant in Sealy, Texas.

The delegation, led by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin and Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a letter today to have the Pentagon brief the lawmakers on the disputed process to end the contract.

The lawmakers told Gates the Army's decision could cost 3,000 jobs at the plant.

The decision to award the truck contract to a rival in Wisconsin "will result in massive additional expenditures," the lawmakers said.

McCaul said the Army's decision to award the $2.8 billion contract to another firm stemmed from "a flawed procurement process."

"I will not sit idly by and allow jobs to be siphoned from our state," said McCaul. "BAE Systems employees in Sealy must be given ample opportunity to prove the superiority of their product that has become a reliable workhorse for our men and women in uniform."

"You just don't produce 56,000 high quality, safe military vehicles at the most competitive price for 17 years and suddenly lose a contract," McCaul said. "Something is wrong with this picture and I intend to find out what."

Among the lawmakers who signed the letter to Gates were six from the greater Houston area, including McCaul and Reps. John Culberson, R-Houston; Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land; Ted Poe, R-Humble; and Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands.