On the recordMarch 25, 2010
I rise in strong opposition to this closed rule to consider FAA reauthorization legislation. Quite frankly, I am disgusted with this whole process at a time when millions of Americans are without employment, people are having their homes foreclosed, people seeking jobs for more than a year now finding no opportunities, people cutting back across the land in tough economic times. I am really saddened that we continue to play games with one of our most important responsibilities, and that is providing Federal authorization for all of our aviation programs. The FAA bill sets the blueprint for our policy, Federal policy, for projects, for funding, for every activity dealing with aviation in this Nation. I am actually sickened by the games that have been played with this. As chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, in May of 2003--now listen to this--in 2003, I introduced the current and longstanding last Federal Aviation Authorization bill. Now, I didn't get it done immediately; but by December, in 6 months I had that on the President's desk, and in December of 2007 the President signed that.
