{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140623003122/http://meehan.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=682", "Meehan, Lawmakers Seek Answers on DOD Helicopter Buy - Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) and a bipartisan group of legislators", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Pat Meehan", "M001181", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Meehan, Lawmakers Seek Answers on DOD Helicopter Buy\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tWASHINGTON, DC\u2013 Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) and a bipartisan group of legislators who represent workers at Boeing\u2019s manufacturing facility in Ridley Park, PA today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel seeking answers on the Defense Department\u2019s decision to purchase Russian-built helicopters to equip Afghan security forces.\n\n\tA recent Associated Press article indicates the Department made the decision to purchase Russian Mi-17 \u201cHip\u201d helicopters despite an internal report that concluded the CH-47 Chinook was \u201cthe most cost-effective\u201d helicopter for Afghan forces.\n\n\tMeehan was joined by Reps. John Carney (DE-AL), Robert Brady (PA-1), Jim Gerlach (PA-6), Chaka Fattah (PA-2) and Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) in sending the letter.\n\n\t\u201cAs lawmakers who represent the workers who make the CH-47 Chinook at the Boeing Facility located in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, we respectfully request clarification on the allegations that the Pentagon overruled a recommendation to buy an American-made aircraft,\u201d the letter said.\n\n\tA signed copy of the letter is available here.The full text of the letter is below:\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tDecember 19, 2013\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tThe Honorable Charles T. Hagel\n\n\tSecretary of Defense\n\n\t1000 Defense Pentagon\n\n\tWashington, D.C. 20301\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tDear Secretary Hagel,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\tWe are writing to you regarding a December 7 Associated Press article on the Department of Defense\u2019s purchase of Russian Mi-17 helicopters.\u00a0\n\n\tThe article, entitled \u201cDid the Pentagon mislead Congress over purchase of Russian Mi-17s for Afghanistan,\u201d cites senior Pentagon officials assuring Congress that the Russian-made helicopters were the \u201csuperior choice\u201d for outfitting the Afghan security forces. According to a 2010 Department of Defense internal study, however, the U.S. Army\u2019s Chinook was found to be \u201cthe most cost-effective single platform type fleet for the Afghan Air Force over a twenty year period.\u201d\u00a0 If this study is correct, why was the Chinook not chosen as the aircraft for the Afghan security forces? Furthermore, the article also indicates that the recommendation for the Chinook may have been overruled by high ranking Department of Defense officials.\u00a0\n\n\tAs lawmakers who represent the workers who make the CH-47 Chinook at the Boeing Facility located in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, we respectfully request clarification on the allegations that the Pentagon overruled a recommendation to buy an American-made aircraft.\n\n\tWe ask that you please provide a detailed response, as well as a briefing on Capitol Hill in January, on these important issues to our constituents.\n\n\tThank you for your consideration with regards to this request. We look forward to your response.\n\n\tSincerely,\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tPatrick Meehan\n\n\tChaka Fattah\n\n\tRobert Brady\n\n\tJohn Carney\n\n\tAllyson Schwartz\n\n\tJim Gerlach", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140623003122/http://meehan.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=682"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0629609934985638, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}