Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, just a quick minute to reflect on the previous speaker. First of all, as a former chairman of Transportation, chair of the Aviation Subcommittee, if the FAA Administrator is not ensuring that safety positions, including inspectors that are key to safety, that those positions are filled and manned during this shutdown, he should turn in his resignation immediately. I can tell you he has the discretion to make certain that safety and our Essential Air Service inspections are conducted. So this is a game that's being played by the other side. Secondly, the gentleman spoke to a non-Federal program. There is no reason that any program that's supported with private money can't continue. We've seen this game played this week, poking veterans in the eye, poking even minorities in the eye. If you have been to Washington and seen the World War II Memorial, it's an open space. And to put up barriers, and to put Park Service personnel out there to put fences up to prohibit the public and our veterans from walking into that open memorial, is an offense. To do the same thing to the Martin Luther King memorial is an offense to our minorities and all Americans. So this is a game that's being played. I have seen it played, you know, just a short time ago. And it's good to have some institutional memory on FAA. The other side controlled this body. Now, they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House in huge majorities, they could not pass an FAA reauthorization.…”