WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to urge the Department of Defense to consider illegal trade subsidies during the procurement of a next generation tanker.

"It is the height of inconsistency for the U.S. Air Force to flat out ignore the impact of the WTO’s decision when putting together a final request for proposals on the tanker," Senator Roberts said. "Along with my colleagues, I strongly urge the Air Force to consider the impact of unfair subsidies when a final request for proposal is issued next month."

At issue is the September interim ruling of the World Trade Organization that determined the EU had illegally subsidized Airbus and placed America’s Boeing Company at a disadvantage. The airframe EADS put forward in the last tanker competition, the A330, is identified specifically as one of the models that received unfair subsidies from various EU member governments.

Senator Roberts has long fought to replace the nation’s again tanker fleet to give men and women in uniform the safest and best plane to complete their mission. Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction on trade matters.

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