FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   CONTACT:      Adriana Surfas

Friday 27 June 2008                                                                                          (202) 225-3661

 

Congressional Coalition Presses Air Force to Implement GAO Recommendations, Re-Open Tanker Contract

Washington, D.C. – Following the recent Government Accountability Office ruling on the Air Force aerial refueling tanker contract award, a broad bipartisan coalition of over 70 Members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), sent a letter to acting Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley urging the Department to implement all of the GAO recommendations and to re-open a fair competition. The list of co-signers includes Members from the Armed Service Committee and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. In their June 18 decision, the GAO identified “significant errors” with the Air Force’s acquisition process, notably its failure to follow its own evaluation criteria and properly consider life cycle costs.

“In light of the seriously flawed review process that appears to have taken place with this award,” the Members write in the letter, “we believe that anything less than a re-opened competition that judges without prejudice each offerors’ ability to meet the needs of the Air Force at the best value to the American taxpayer will only further call into question your service’s acquisition process.”

 

Below is the text of the letter.

 

June 27, 2008

 

The Honorable Michael B. Donley

Acting Secretary

Department of the Air Force

1670 Air Force Pentagon, Room 4E540

Washington , DC 20330-1670

Dear Acting Secretary Donley,

            We write with regard to the Air Force acquisition process for the development, demonstration and procurement of the replacement KC-X aerial refueling tankers and the recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruling on the matter.  Specifically, we write to urge you to fully take into account all of the GAO findings and re-open a fair competition in a manner that corrects the “significant errors” identified by the GAO. 

            As you know, the GAO on June 18 sustained the Boeing Company’s protest of the Air Force’s decision to award the aerial refueling tanker contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, identifying fundamental flaws in your service’s handling of the contract award.  In its ruling, the GAO provided seven reasons for sustaining the protest, any or all of which may have affected “the outcome of what was a close competition.”  In reviewing these findings, we are extremely troubled that the Air Force apparently failed to judge the competitive bids based on the Air Force’s own evaluation criteria, made significant mistakes in considering the life cycle costs of each of the two aircraft and “conducted misleading and unequal discussions with Boeing.” 

            Accordingly, we fully support the GAO’s recommendation that your Department reopen discussions with the bidders, obtain and re-evaluate revised proposals and “make a new source selection decision” in accordance with the GAO findings.  Additionally, we agree with the GAO that if the solicitation does not adequately state the Air Force’s needs, your Department “should amend the solicitation prior to conducting further discussions with the offerors.”  In light of the seriously flawed review process that appears to have taken place with this award, we believe that anything less than a re-opened competition that judges without prejudice each offerors’ ability to meet the needs of the Air Force at the best value to the American taxpayer will only further call into question your service’s acquisition process.

            We whole-heartedly support the KC-X aerial refueling tanker program and appreciate how critical it is for the Air Force and our men and women in uniform.  Moreover, we understand the delays this program is experiencing and the resulting difficulties you may have in reaching the 2013 target date to begin flying the new aircraft. Nevertheless, we believe it is absolutely critical to the American public’s confidence in the Air Force that you get this decision right.  As the Air Force experiences a transition in leadership, we believe that this award offers a clear opportunity for you to demonstrate that the service is serious about correcting shortcomings in its acquisition process. 

            We thank you for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rosa DeLauro

Todd Akin

Tom Allen

Jason Altmire

Brian Baird

Marion Berry

Earl Blumenauer

Leonard Boswell

Nancy Boyda

Robert Brady

Bruce Braley

Henry Brown

Ken Calvert

Russ Carnahan

William Lacy Clay

Jerry Costello

Joe Courtney

Joe Crowley

Peter DeFazio

Norm Dicks

Rahm Emanuel

Jo Ann Emerson
Bob Filner

Bill Foster

Sam Graves

Gene Green

Luis Gutierrez

Phil Hare

Doc Hastings

Kenny Hulshof

Jay Inslee

Jesse Jackson Jr.

Steve Kagen

Dale Kildee

Ron Kind

Steve King

Ray LaHood

Rick Larsen

John Larson

Sander Levin

Daniel Lipinski

Dave Loebsack

Don Manzullo

Doris Matsui

Betty McCollum

Jim McDermott

Jim McGovern

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Jerry McNerney

Gwen Moore

Jerry Moran

Dennis Moore

Chris Murphy

Grace Napolitano

Richard Neal, Ed Pastor

Collin Peterson

Thomas Petri

Dave Reichert

Laura Richardson

Dana Rohrabacher

Steve Rothman

Bobby Rush

Loretta Sanchez

Jan Schakowsky

Chris Shays

Carol Shea-Porter

John Shimkus

Albio Sires

Adam Smith

David Wu