Tanker deal passes Senate committee

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (5/2, Rosenberg) reports, "A team of Northrop Grumman and EADS cleared a key legislative hurdle when lawmakers announced Thursday that the Senate Armed Services Committee has approved startup funding for a new fleet of Air Force tankers." The Post-Intelligencer notes, "The Senate panel's tanker provision was included in a $542.5 billion military spending bill for next year that was approved behind closed doors." While supporters in the Senate called the development "great news for the tanker project," committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said the Senate was "not going to prejudge the (tanker) debate." Sen. Levin also said "he would not support any such action before the Government Accountability Office rules in mid-June on the merits of an appeal from Boeing." Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a committee member, also warned "that any effort by Boeing supporters to eliminate tanker funding" when the bill reaches the full Senate would be "vigorously opposed." Reuters (5/2) also reports the story.