John Mica: “I do support the motion to recommit the FAA reauthorization legislation and urge those on both sides of the aisle for…”

“I do support the motion to recommit the FAA reauthorization legislation and urge those on both sides of the aisle for this recommittal. To answer the gentleman from Massachusetts' question to me previously about commitments that I would make as to what would be in and what would be out of the final legislation and conference report that comes out, I can make no guarantee tonight. I am but one member of the conference committee, even though I chair the Subcommittee on Aviation and am willing to work with the other side. But let me set some facts straight tonight as we conclude the debate on the motion to recommit. First of all, my colleagues heard the ranking member of the full committee just cite that air traffic control is an inherently governmental function and that somehow this has been politicized by our side of the aisle. Nothing, I say to my colleagues, could be further from the truth. In fact, for 7 1/2 years of the Clinton administration, there was no inherently governmental label placed on FAA air traffic control.”