On the recordMay 27, 2010
I want to speak in favor of competition. Competition works. Our work on the IMPROVE Act shows that. I am against this amendment. There was no competition. Under Secretary Ashton Carter, on the record in front of the committee, said there was no competition between these two engines. Competition works. It drives down the costs, and we need those cost savings over the term of a 40-year program. I rise in opposition to amendment #80 offered by Representative Pingree and others. The Pingree amendment would result in a sole source contract to a single engine manufacturer for the Joint Strike Fighter. But few can argue with the premise that competition is good for the taxpayer. In fact, the Department of Defense has training materials for its acquisition workforce to teach them the benefits of competition and how to cultivate it. Healthy competition is the lifeblood of commerce--it increases the likelihood of efficiencies and innovations.
