Washington, D.C.  – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement today after the Congressionally-chartered Sustainable Defense Task Force recommended delaying the KC-X tanker for five years.  

“Right now, the men and women at Fairchild Air Force Base are flying air refueling tankers that are more than 50 years old.  That is not consistent with our goal of having a modern Air Force using state-of-the-art technology. For the sake of our national security, we need to move forward with the acquisition process for the KC-X Tanker – a process which has already been drawn out too long and cost taxpayers too much money.”

The Sustainable Defense Tank Force is a fourteen-member panel led by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, charged with making recommendations on military spending.  

Since coming to Congress in 2005, Rep. McMorris Rodgers has been a strong advocate for Fairchild Air Force Base, the largest employer in Eastern Washington.  The current KC-X Tanker competition process started in 2006 and the Congresswoman continues to ensure it remains a top priority for the Air Force.  

On April 29, 2010, Rep. McMorris Rodgers led a delegation of Spokane leaders to the Pentagon to meet with Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and other high-ranking military officials to discuss the KC-X Tanker and efforts to bolster Fairchild AFB.