On the recordMay 22, 2013
The Senator from Maine has it exactly right, and I commend her for her leadership. I want to point out to those who were critical of what we did when it came to the FAA, it is not just elite business travelers or Members of Congress who use our air transportation. It is families, it is seniors, it is businesswomen, and every American possible using our air transportation system. We see the egalitarian nature of our air transportation system when we are in our airports. Senator Collins brokered a sensible compromise that kept our airports running, flights on time, and commerce flowing smoothly. I remember Senator Collins standing here on the floor, somewhat late at night, appealing to both of our leaders. So Senator Collins led the way. We also moved in the furloughs for meat inspectors. If we can deal with these small corners of sequestration, we can go all in. We have proven we can find consensus. It is time to finish that job. I want to turn back to my colleague for any final thoughts she might have to make about our bill and the importance of this effort we have underway.
