05.16.03

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell's Statement on Boeing's 7E7 Assembly Site Selection Criteria

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The stakes are high, not just for jobs at Boeing, but for the health of our economy. It will be a challenge to develop a plan that satisfies the criteria Boeing laid out today, but it is a challenge we can meet.

Each one of us in Washington state must play our part in making a competitive proposal. This is a battle we can and should win. And the reward is more than Boeing jobs alone, it is a stronger business climate that will improve our entire state's economy.

I am pleased that Boeing's criteria make it clear that the manufacturing jobs of the future demand a workforce equipped with the skills of the future. Although I believe we have the most highly skilled aerospace workforce in the country, I am committed to helping create new training opportunities so our workers can acquire even more skills. We have already launched important projects on advanced materials training and research programs at regional educational institutions including University of Washington, Washington State University, Central Washington University, and Edmonds Community College.

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