Political Quotes

“Madam President, we are close to the vote on the FAA bill. I want to underscore the importance for the Senate because it contains some of the most significant passenger-friendly reforms and airport security enhancements that we have seen in years. To get to this point has been no small task, especially in this era in which it is so difficult to find consensus and a bipartisan way to pass something. We have been able to do it with the able leadership of the chairman, Senator John Thune. The two of us have felt like we needed to focus on areas where we agree, and as a result the entire Commerce Committee came together to get this done. Now we are about to pass this and get it on to the House. In a complicated bill like this, it doesn't contain everything that everybody wants, but we hope our counterparts in the House are going to take up and pass this bill without delay. We have given them a good bipartisan blueprint to follow and one they ought to pass easily. If they add controversial or partisan measures such as privatizing our air traffic control system, this bill will fail. The U.S. Department of Defense is unalterably opposed to private controllers controlling our military aircraft. If that path is taken in the House, it is going to be a big loss for consumers and for the safety of the flying public. When thinking about some of the irritations of passengers, such as the growing list of airline fees and charges, consumers feel they are nickel-and-dimed to death.…”