Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I think the chairman, Senator Thune, has pointed out that what we have tried to exhibit is the way the Senate is supposed to work. We are supposed to work in a bipartisan way to forge consensus in order to be able to govern. The subject matter of the FAA reauthorization bill is one that we shouldn't dilly-dally around. Indeed, we take some of the very serious consequences we are facing with our national aviation system head-on. I also want the chairman to know how much I appreciate the spirit with which we have worked, not only on this issue but on the many issues we have discussed in the Commerce Committee. I think the proof is in the pudding, and I think we will see an amendment process that will run fairly smoothly as a result of the example and the spirit we have tried to set with regard to this legislation. This is a comprehensive bill. It has been months in the making, and in working together in the fashion that I indicated, the bill reflects our broad agreement on aviation. At the same time, we have refrained from the controversial proposals, such as the plan in the House bill that has come out of the House committee and has not gone to the floor. They had a plan to privatize air traffic control and that has stopped the House FAA bill dead in its tracks. We have a good bill in front of us here in the Senate, and in this robust process we will consider many amendments and improvements as we continue the legislative process.…”