Congressman Continues To Pressure Air Force On Hawker’s Exclusion From Contract

Fri, February 10, 2012

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KMUW / Briana O’Higgins

US Representative Mike Pompeo said Thursday he continues to work with Hawker Beechcraft to put pressure on the Air Force regarding the company’s exclusion from a potential $1 billion contract.

The company filed a lawsuit with the US Court of Federal Claims late last year, claiming wrongful exclusion from a pool of manufacturers being considered to supply planes to the Air Force.

Pompeo says he and more than a dozen others have since continued to ask the Air Force to provide a reason as to why Hawker Beechcraft was excluded from the contract.

“It remains incomprehensible to me that our government would conduct a bid process, kick out the lone American producer of the aircraft and not afford them a reasonable explanation for why it is they were not permitted to continue in the competition,” says Pompeo.

Pompeo says the Air Force continues to refuse transparency in regards to their decision making process and that litigation continues.

“I am hopeful that the Air Force will come to their senses, and give us all a response,” says Pompeo. “I hear about that from folks all the time. We now have a much broader coalition of people back here in Washington D.C, who understand that this is not just about Kansas, this is about taxpayers and good procurement processes.”

Pompeo says he hopes to talk to the secretary of the Air Force again next week, although previous correspondence from Air Force officials indicate they cannot talk because of the ongoing lawsuit.