Orrin Hatch: “I would like to review with my colleagues section 135 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004.…”

“I would like to review with my colleagues section 135 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004. Under the leadership of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Warner, and Ranking Member Levin, Congress recently agreed to modify the manner in which the Air Force may acquire Boeing 767 aerial refueling tankers. This compromise is contained in section 135. In the words of Chairman Warner on October 23, 2003, this compromise sought to put this program back into the traditional budget, procurement, and authorization process. Section 135 replaces the current authorization for the Air Force to lease 100 aircraft, with an authorization for the Air Force to lease no more than 20 tankers, and to buy no more than 80 aircraft using multiyear procurement authority and incremental funding. The original proposal to lease 100 tankers would have cost taxpayers $6.7 billion more than buying them outright, according to the Congressional Budget Office.”