Rep. Manweller appointed to new 777X Legislative Task Force

Rep. Manweller appointed to new 777X Legislative Task Force

Rep. Matt Manweller is one of only three House Republicans tapped to serve on the 777X Legislative Task Force assembled by the governor’s office to address the possible expansion of Boeing’s 777 in Washington.

Boeing has a backlog of orders for the 777, to keep up with demand the company is considering increasing production rates of the 777 to as high as 10 to 12 per month, up from their current 8.3 per month. Those in the aviation industry feel the increased need for capacity may have Boeing looking elsewhere to develop the 777X, including a new factory to build the jet’s wings.

The goal of the task force is to assure Boeing that Washington state is the best place to design and build the 777 aircraft.

“Business owners, large and small, face many challenges in Washington. This task force gets to sit down with one of the state’s largest employers and hear what we can do to retain and invest in jobs – not just for their company, but for all employers. It is important we make every effort to keep Boeing jobs here in Washington, but at the same time, whatever we are doing for Boeing we should be doing for all businesses in Washington,” said Manweller, R-Ellensburg. “We have a great opportunity to address the factors that impact our competitiveness such as business taxation, workers’ compensation, transportation and regulatory reform.”

The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2 in Everett during the Governor’s Aerospace Summit. The task force is expected to discuss the group structure, background on the 777X, and hear high level recommendations from the Washington Aerospace Partnership’s consultant team who conducted an analysis of Washington’s competitiveness.

The task force is expected to meet five times before the Dubai Air Show, which is scheduled for November 17-20, 2013. Many expect Boeing to formally launch the 777X program at the air show in November. However, it is not known when the company will announce their decision on where the final assembly of the 777 will occur, or where the fabrication of its carbon fiber wings will take place.  

For more information about Rep. Manweller, visit: www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/manweller.

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