National Security Reform Program

In December 2001, Congress inserted a last-minute amendment to the fiscal year 2002 Defense Appropriations Act allowing the United States Air Force to lease one hundred commercial Boeing 767 wide-body jets for conversion into refueling tanker aircraft to replace 127 of the KC-135 aerial refueling tankers.

However, the KC-135 aerial refueling tankers still have plenty of flying time left in them. Replacing them with the costly Boeing jets is unnecessary, and top military officials have admitted that replacements were never even requested by the military. The Boeing Lease program should be stopped, in the face of huge federal deficits, over the insistence of the program's merits by Members of Congress who have links to Boeing.

Resources

• December 1, 2003 -- Statement by Steve Ellis on the resignation of Boeing CEO Phil Condit
  
  
• November 24, 2003 -- Statement by Keith Ashdown on the decision by Boeing CEO to fire Darleen Druyun
  
  
• November 6, 2003 -- Pentagon Supports Senate Tanker Compromise; 4.2 Billion Saved
  
  
• September 3, 2003 -- Statement of Steve Ellis, Vice President of Programs at Taxpayers for Common Sense, at Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Hearing on the Proposed Lease of 100 Boeing 767 Aircraft for Use by the U.S. Air Force
  
  
• August 26, 2003 -- CBO Slams Boeing Tanker Lease
  
  
• July 23, 2003 -- Statement on Boeing Lease Deal
  
  
• June 26, 2003 -- Wastebasket Vol. III No. 26: A Boon to Boeing
  
  
• June 10, 2003 -- TCS Letter to Congress: Groups criticize billion dollar Boeing lease giveaway
  
  
• January 4, 2002 -- Wastebasket Vol. II No. 1: New Year's Resolution: Restrain