"I am deeply disappointed in today's announcement. I had great hope that Boeing, in the end, would decide to keep the second line of the 787 here in Washington.

"I'm especially disappointed that the decision was made at a level that we could not influence locally. In the Senate, we wanted to keep 787 here at home - we worked with both sides and saw strong local interest from local Boeing leaders and employees to keep the 787 here at home – but the decision was made far away, and, very unfortunately, we were unable to affect it here at home.

"I'm proud of our state. I continue to believe Washington offers a far more skilled and experienced workforce, far more competitive infrastructure, and a far more committed Legislature and governor than does South Carolina. I continue to believe that Boeing and the 787 are positioned most competitively right here in Washington.

"And while, sadly, some may use today’s disappointing announcement to score political points, Washington residents can be proud that their state remains a great place to do business according to almost every objective analysis, including those performed by national publications such as Forbes and U.S. News & World Report.

"I know that local Boeing leaders and the Machinists remain committed to Washington. Boeing is still the largest private employer in the state, and there remains plenty of work on the 737, the 777, the first line of the 787 and, we hope, the 767 tanker for the tens of thousands of Boeing employees in the state. "We will continue to work together and identify ways to control our own destiny here in Washington in the future."