Lawmakers Heard From Air Force Secretary Michael Donley

U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) (pictured, right) and Kit Bond (R-MO) officially launched the United States Senate Aerospace Caucus Thursday, with a stated goal of helping to promote a strong, secure and competitive aerospace sector. The Caucus began Thursday with a luncheon that featured guest speaker Michael Donley, the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force. The luncheon was attended by leading aerospace manufacturers, industry advocates, and top military and political officials.

“Ensuring a robust aerospace sector is critical for the future of our workers, our national defense, and our economy,” said Senator Murray. “For far too long we have shared in the many common problems that face this critical sector. This Caucus is a step forward in working on shared solutions.”

“Senator Murray and I formed this caucus as a bipartisan effort to protect and advocate for a strong, secure and competitive American Aerospace industry,” said Senator Bond (below).  “Keeping the American Aerospace industry strong for today, and tomorrow, is crucial to our national defense and economic security.”

In a news release, Senators Murray and Bond said they have stood up the aerospace caucus in an effort to:

• Provide critical oversight of the U.S. government’s aerospace defense industry program.
• Promote increased government investment in U.S. aviation infrastructure and development.
• Ensure a competitive industrial base.
• Promote education and workforce development programs that prepare Americans for careers in the aerospace industry.

"Whether I’m talking to big companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin - or small companies like Aerojet in Redmond, Washington – I hear the same thing," Murray said in her opening remarks to the caucus. “We need a comprehensive national strategy for aerospace, they tell me. We are ready to be a leader in innovation, but we need to know that the U.S. government will be our partner in that effort. And without a clear national strategy these companies risk becoming stagnant just as their foreign competition flies ahead. And we can’t let that happen."

22 members of the Senate have joined the Caucus. Absent from the roster are Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, both Republicans from Alabama, a state that would be home to the EADS North America assembly line should the European-based company prevail in the KC-X tanker competition.

In a statement on its website, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) said "The first-ever meeting of the Senate Aerospace Caucus today initiates an important forum for senators, their staff and representatives from the aerospace industry to discuss issues that impact the nation’s defense, civil aviation and space sectors. We appreciate the leadership of the co-chairs, Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash. and Christopher Bond, R-Missouri, in establishing the caucus.

"We were particularly pleased that the inaugural event included participation by Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and AIA Chairman Scott Donnelly, President and CEO of Textron Inc., discussing defense industrial base issues, acquisition reform and workforce needs. We’re looking forward to working with the members of the caucus to help shape the discussion on the future of the aerospace and defense industry.

FMI: http://senate.us.gov, www.aia-aerospace.org