Hess, Industry Leaders Urge End to Sequestration at West Palm Beach Rally

Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky, in conjunction with the Aerospace Industries Association, hosted a "Second to None" rally for more than 300 employees on Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. The rally highlighted the critical contribution of the aerospace and defense industry to the U.S. economy and spread the word about the potential impact of budget sequestration.

The speaking program included U.S. Rep. Allen West of Florida, Pratt & Whitney President David Hess, Tom Burbage, executive vice president and general manager, Joint Strike Fighter Program Integration, Lockheed Martin and Scott Starrett, vice president, Washington Operations & Government Business Development, Sikorsky, all of whom were joined on stage by 50 U.S. veterans. The veterans, who are also Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky employees, were publicly recognized for their military service by each of the speakers, and by their fellow employees. Hess, who also serves as chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association, urged employees to join the fight against sequestration by contacting their elected officials.

"Massive sequestration budget cuts are a threat to American jobs, the economy and U.S. national security," Hess said. "We need you, our employees, to raise your voices loud and clear, and tell our elected officials that what we need is an alternative to sequestration that keeps us on the path of continued job creation, growth and innovation."

Click here to read the full text of Dave Hess' speech. 

Coverage:

• Interview With Florida Representative Allen West (FOX News)
• Defense firms may issue layoff warnings despite US guidance (Reuters)
• Pratt workers aim at defense-spending cuts (Sun Sentinel)
• Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and Aerospace Industries Association opposing budget cuts (WPTV)

Pratt & Whitney President Testifies Before House Armed Services Committee

Pratt & Whitney President and Aerospace Industries Association Chairman Dave Hess testified before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday on the uncertainty around the topic of sequestration and the possible effects on national defense.

Broadly, sequestration involves spending cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which take effect on Jan. 2, 2013, unless Congress and the administration agree on a solution. There is significant uncertainty over how sequestration would work, and many groups, including AIA, are seeking clarification from Washington.

Hess shared his perspective on the detrimental consequences that sequestration could cause on the defense industry and urged the White House for more clarity.

"As an industry, we are already seeing the impacts of potential sequestration budget cuts today," Hess said. "Companies are limiting hiring and halting investments - largely due to the uncertainty about how sequestration cuts would be applied."

Click here to read the full text of the testimony.

Coverage:

• Defense company execs warn of layoffs if cuts go through (Federal News Radio)
• Defense executives plead for Congress to avoid budget cuts (Reuters)
• Defense Contractors Say Hiring Slows Before Budget Cuts (Bloomberg)
• Defense contractors speak out against budget cuts (Washington Post)
• Aerospace execs tell Congress that 'sequestration' will cost jobs (Los Angeles Times)
• Aerospace industry fears looming defense cut, lack of R&D (Seattle Times)
• CEOs in Crossfire At Sequestration Hearing (AOL Defense)
• Defense executives warn of dire cuts (Politico)
• Defense firm chief says tax hikes should be on sequester table (The Hill)
• As Defense Cuts Loom, Weapons Makers Say Tax Hikes Should Be On The Table (Huffington Post)
• Industry Execs: Don't Rule Out Tax Hikes to Avoid Defense Cuts (U.S. News)

The Hill Features Hess, AIA in Sequestration Budget Battle

Pratt & Whitney President David Hess, in his role as chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association, described the potential impact of budget sequestration in a story published Tuesday in The Hill. The Washington, D.C.,-based publication, which covers the U.S. Congress, reported the story as Hess and AIA leaders urge legislators to put a stop to sequestration.

Budget sequestration, a series of automatic spending cuts intended to enforce statutory budget limits under the Budget Control Act, could have a significant impact on the U.S. aerospace and defense industry, according to the AIA. The AIA projects more than $500 billion in defense cuts beginning in January and estimates that more than 1.5 million jobs could be lost.

"We just want to go into this with everybody's eyes wide open so they understand what it means," Hess told The Hill. "There's a huge economic impact to the U.S. economy with some of the very premium jobs in the United States: high-tech jobs, high-paying jobs, high-skilled jobs."

Click here to read the story in The Hill's "DEFCON Hill" defense blog.