Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 2626, a bill making clarifications to the Pilots Records Improvement Act. The act, which was passed last year, required airlines hiring pilots to obtain pertinent safety information from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Drivers Registry, and former airline employers. Ensuring that potential employers had access to this type of information enhanced safety and that airlines could make more informed hiring decisions. The modifications contained in this bill clarify certain provisions in last year's legislation. In addition, it permits carriers to hire and train pilots prior to receiving records but would still require that they could not operate commercial flights until the records were received and reviewed. The House passed a version of this bill last year that contained this provision, but it was modified in conference. Finally, it recognizes that air taxis are a unique segment of the aviation industry and one that has been disproportionately impacted by last year's legislation. Typically air taxis are small businesses. Although there is a legislative requirement that a requesting carrier be forwarded pertinent records within 30 days, we recognize that this is frequently not happening. Carriers sometimes wait for several months before receiving requested records. This delay, while troubling, is not a significant problem for major carriers with a large pilot work force.”