Weekly interest and loan rates | Home values Northwest stock contest 2004 | Consumer affairs

Stonecipher says McCain vital to tanker deal's fate

By Alex Fryer
Seattle Times Washington bureau

Harry Stonecipher

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

But Stonecipher said his efforts may come down to a single, skeptical lawmaker: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"I think we have to convince Sen. McCain that the process is being done properly, and if there are any issues that have to get done, we're going to have to do it," Stonecipher said.

His comments came after a closed-door meeting in Rep. Norm Dicks' office with Boeing lobbyists and 10 House members, including, former presidential candidate Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.

	John McCain

Stonecipher said Boeing will have to decide next spring whether to close Everett's 767 line if the tanker deal collapses and it receives no further commercial-airline orders.

"That's when we'll make the decision. Time is of the essence, because if you have to restart the (assembly) line ... "

"Then that costs you extra money," Dicks said, finishing Stonecipher's sentence. "And as we've said, development (of a new aircraft) will take you 10 years. So that doesn't make any sense if you have an off-the-shelf aircraft. This (the 767 deal) is the best possible way to go."

"Absolutely," agreed Stonecipher.

Dicks, D-Bremerton, successfully added an amendment yesterday to a defense-spending bill that set a deadline of next March 1 for the Air Force to complete negotiations and sign a tanker contract.

But there is no indication the Senate will go along with that language.

After two years of wrangling, Congress last year approved legislation under which the Defense Department could lease 20 Boeing 767 tankers and possibly purchase an additional 80, subject to congressional authorization.

But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put the $23.5 billion deal on hold in December after two Boeing executives were fired following an internal ethics investigation.

Subsequent Pentagon reports have questioned whether the Air Force immediately needs to replace the current tanker fleet, which is more than 40 years old and based on the Boeing 707.

While Rumsfeld may ultimately decide the fate of the tanker contract, "he needs the support of the House and Senate," said Stonecipher.

Congress is poised to pass the fiscal 2005 defense-authorization bill, and Boeing supporters are trying to inject language protecting the tanker deal.

Congressional sources said Stonecipher also met with members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which authorizes defense spending and where the tanker deal has met heavy opposition.

McCain is set to assume chairmanship of that committee in 2005, leading Boeing supporters such as Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, whose district includes the Everett plant, to push for the proposal in the waning months of this legislative session.

"Keep the ball in the air, and you always have a chance," he said.

Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More business & technology headlines...