Boeing’s Campaign of Misinformation Continues
Late last week, Boeing ran a series of ads implying that the GAO report found Boeing’s KC-767 to be the better plane against the Northrop Grumman KC-45. When in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
In response to Boeing’s campaign of misinformation, Senator Richard Shelby, Senator Jeff Sessions, Congressman Artur Davis and I issued the following response:
“We continue to be disappointed with Boeing’s tanker rhetoric and are writing to set the record straight. Misinformation has been contained in two recent ads by Boeing in an effort to overturn the selection of the Northrop Grumman KC-45, which the Air Force determined to be the best tanker for the warfighter.
“Today, Boeing is running a two page ad that uses statements from the GAO report to assert that the GAO found the KC-767 to be the best tanker in the competition. This simply is not true.
“In fact, the GAO was crystal clear in its report. While noting “errors in the conduct of the procurement,” the GAO report said, “this decision should not be read to reflect a view as to the merits of the firms’ respective aircraft.”
“Earlier this week, Boeing ran another ad showing a photo of two KC-767 tankers it delivered to Japan earlier this year. Left unsaid in the ad was the fact that those tankers were delivered over a year late and are still not certified for use by Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force.
“This ad also omits the relevant fact its KC-767 tankers on order for the Italian Air Force have not been delivered and are now almost four years late.
“In fairness, the ad does mention the U.S. Air Force’s “unique specifications” acknowledging that Boeing has not built, flown or tested the tanker configuration it offered to our Air Force. In fact, the tankers delivered to Japan fall short on several of the U.S. Air Force’s key requirements.
“The GAO finding of “errors in the conduct of the procurement” was sufficient for Defense Secretary Robert Gates to order a limited, expedited re-competition. This re-competition should focus on achieving a rapid conclusion in order to put new tankers into the hands of our warfighters as soon as possible.
“Boeing’s misinformation campaign is not in the best interest of either our military or the taxpayer. The nation’s second largest defense contractor should know better than to stoop so low in an effort to win a contract.”
August Town Hall Meetings Set
I am pleased to announce I have scheduled an upcoming series of town hall meetings for next month.
I hope each of you will take the opportunity to find the meeting closest to your home and come out to visit with my staff and me.
Monday, August 11
8:00 - 9:00 a.m. – Bay Minette - City Hall
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. – Atmore - Municipal Auditorium
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. – Brewton - City Hall
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. – Monroeville - City Hall
Tuesday, August 12
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Grand Bay - Senior Center
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. – Creola - City Hall
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. – Chatom -Town Hall
*5:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Jackson - City Hall
*Our newsletter incorrectly listed this time as 5:30-6:30 p.m., but due to council business, it will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 13
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Semmes - Semmes Community Center
Thursday, August 14
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. – Fairhope - City Hall
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Foley - City Hall
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Lillian - Community Center
Summer/Fall Newsletter Released
One of the many ways we have found to stay in touch with my constituents in south Alabama has been through the release of district-wide newsletters.
These newsletters, which are typically distributed as inserts in each of the daily and weekly newspapers in the six counties of the First District, have proven to be an effective way of providing a central source of information on the latest events in Washington.
Moreover, rather than sending these newsletters out as a mass-mailing to your home or post office box, the newspaper insert format enables our office to save the taxpayers thousands of dollars in printing and distribution costs.
My summer/fall 2008 newsletter will be distributed this week in the weekly papers throughout the First District and in Mobile’s Press-Register on Sunday. If you do not receive a copy, please call my office toll-free at 800-288-8721 to request a copy, and a member of my staff will be happy to mail one to you.
Additionally, the newsletter has been posted in Adobe format on my website.
I hope you enjoy reading through the articles and information provided in this most recent newsletter, and as always your comments on this and future newsletters are welcome.
My staff and I work for you. If we can ever be of service, do not hesitate to call my office toll free at 1-800-288-8721.
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For release the week of
Monday, July 28, 2008. For more
information please contact Nancy W. Wall at (202)225-4931.