Air Force's reversal could mean new jobs for Arkansans

From Congressman Tim Griffin:

Air Force's reversal could mean new jobs for Arkansans

The Obama Administration has notified me that it is delaying its decision to award a major aircraft contract to a Brazilian-owned company and launching an investigation into why American-owned Hawker Beechcraft was excluded from consideration in the first place.

Hawker Beechcraft is a trusted supplier to the U.S. military and a leader in Arkansas’s aerospace industry, so the decision to exclude it from competing for the contract was baffling. That’s why I wrote a letter in January asking Air Force Secretary Michael Donley for an explanation. I was pleased to hear the Administration admit that there are significant concerns regarding the way this decision was made and that senior Air Force officials are investigating it. 

The Air Force's reversal could mean new jobs for Central Arkansas. Officials from Hawker Beechcraft-partner CAE-USA said they would have hired 25 new employees for their Sherwood office had they won the contract. I will continue to monitor the Administration’s investigation very closely to ensure precious taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and in line with our national security interests.