Political Quotes

“I thank Mr. DeFazio. Mr. Speaker, on July 3 last year, a Flight for Life air ambulance helicopter took off in Frisco, Colorado. Just seconds later, the helicopter crashed in a parking lot next to the helipad and burst into flames. The post-crash fire contributed to the death of the pilot, Patrick Mahany, and severely burned the two flight nurses, Dave Repsher and Matthew Bowe. Dave Repsher is still hospitalized today after suffering burns on more than 90 percent of his body. The U.S. military required changes to helicopter fuel systems over 50 years ago. The FAA underwent a rulemaking in 1994 concerning crash- resistant fuel system standards, but 22 years later we still do not require newly manufactured helicopters to meet these safety standards. The 1994 rulemaking required all newly certified helicopter designs to incorporate crash-resistant fuel systems, but helicopter designs are certified once and then can be manufactured for years. So new helicopters like the AS350, which crashed in Frisco and was only 1 year old, are being built to an unsafe standard. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.”