U.S. Senators Launch Aerospace Caucus

DefenseNews (Matthews and Boessenkool) - [Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.Murray] said the U.S. needs a "comprehensive national strategy for aerospace" formed by industry and government working closely together. "Without a clear national strategy, these companies risk being stagnant just as their foreign competition flies ahead, and we cannot let that happen," she said...

"We know what happens to an industry in our country when it does not have a plan for the future," Murray said. "The U.S. auto industry gives us a fresh and painful cautionary tale" of what happens when an industry fails to innovate. "Today, we're all here to avoid the same fate for our aerospace industry," she said. "We need to make the U.S. government a stronger partner in developing a plan for our aerospace future," Murray said. It is the aim of the Aerospace Caucus, which so far includes 24 senators, to secure federal help for the industry.

Murray laid out several broad goals including procurement reform, training a new aerospace workforce to replace older retiring workers, emphasizing math and science education, investing in new technology, increasing research and development and modernizing the nation's aviation infrastructure and air traffic control.