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Tanker Decision Expected Wednesday
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Published: Thu, March 13, 2008 - 11:02 pm
Read the show's transcript below or watch the interview by clicking play.
Transcript from CNN
DOBBS: Well, outrage on Capitol Hill over the outsourcing of that $35 billion contract to a European company that builds airbus.
Congressman Norm Dicks says the Air Force's decision is simply flawed. He's fighting that decision with everything he's got in his power.
Joining us live from Capitol Hill, Congressman, good to have you here. Are you going to prevail?
REP. NORM DICKS (D), WASHINGTON: Yes, Lou, I think we are going to prevail. I think because the Air Force told Congress that it wanted a medium-sized tanker, testimony by Secretary Mike Wynne, and because they even gave us documents as late as December, which indicated that they were going to buy a medium-sized tanker, rather than a large tanker, I feel they've misled the Congress. I think we have every right to stop this program.
DOBBS: Well, Boeing has never protested one of these contracts before. But I mean, that's a pretty major screw up to throw the Air Force to say, well, we will just take the big one instead of the medium one like we've been telling you all. How in the world did the - Secretary Wynne explained that one?
DICKS: Well, he had no explanation. He said because it's under protest, we just - he said we followed the regulations. We were open and transparent. They weren't open and transparent. The reality is they changed the criteria for this competition and made some changes after Northrop Grumman threatened to pull out of the competition that made it possible for the A330 to compete.
DOBBS: The airbus. DICKS: Now -- yes, the airbus. This is a subsidized airplane. The A330 and the A340 were built together -- and they received $5 billion in launch aid and that wasn't even considered.
DOBBS: Well -- there's not only subsidized, we have -- the United States has an action before the World Trade Organization as you well know...
DICKS: Right.
DOBBS: ...bringing forward those subsidy charges. How -- and I heard Secretary Wynne say, well, you know, they're confident they stayed within the law. What kind of moronic process do we have that permits this kind of thing? I don't care whether it's within the law or not, it's -- it lacks basic judgment, it lacks a strategic sense, it lacks any kind of maturity of reason. What in the world is the federal government doing here?
DICKS: Well, I think what they've done, we've passed the laws over the years, and they apply to the United States competitor, in this case, Boeing, but they don't apply to Airbus.
DOBBS: Right.
DICKS: I mean -- and so they -- we have created a monster that's got to be changed. The last three major contracts all went to foreign companies. And I'm really worried. Now here's the other thing I'm worried about, Lou. How do we bring parts, a tail from Spain, the fuselage from Britain...
DOBBS: Right. Then assemble it like an erector set in Mobile, Alabama.
DICKS: Right. And then put it together in a plant that doesn't exist with a crew that doesn't exist. Northrop Grumman tried to do (INAUDIBLE) down in Louisiana and it was a complete flop.
DOBBS: Right. But you know, the folks down in Mobile, Alabama, Northrop Grumman is saying, you know what? You may give it ultimately after this 100-day review by the GAO, you may give it to Boeing but Boeing just going outsource 60 percent of it to China.
DICKS: Wait. I'm told, and this is what they have told us from the start on this particular plane, Lou, it's the A-767. It's 85 percent American.
DOBBS: Right.
DICKS: Built in this country. That's pretty good in this global market that we're competing in.
DOBBS: Yes. And it's about time we started getting our heads on straight about what constitutes national defense and whether or not that's going to be important to this country in the years ahead. We hope so.
DICKS: And Lou...
DOBBS: Norm Dicks, we thank you. I'm sorry, go ahead.
DICKS: Can I say one final thing? They didn't look at industrial base, they didn't look at national security. They didn't look at any of these major issues including subsidy, we got to start over.
DOBBS: Yes, to do all of that, of course, we've got to have some leadership. And...
DICKS: Some judgment, as you said.
DOBBS: You got it.
Congressman Norm Dicks, good to have you here.
DICKS: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: And good luck.
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I wonder what Dicks will say when Boeing moves as much of its plant to Mexico City as it can. I bet old Dicks will retire then. By the Way yes Boeing has purchased real estate in Mexico City and have started construction there.
So is Boeing going to start putting made in Mexico on all of their planes?