Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the Senate has begun a crucial task: consideration of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA's authorization expired on September 30, and Congress has since passed three short-term extensions--the latest of which will expire on May 10. For weeks, the House and Senate have been engaged in negotiations to work through differences in the long-term extension bill. Last week, negotiators released a compromise bill. Here in the Senate, my colleague Senator Duckworth had an important role in authoring the bill. She is a former Blackhawk helicopter pilot and an Iraq War veteran. I can think of no better person to lead this effort than her. The compromise bill addresses several pressing issues for our national aviation system. One priority I advocated for, which was included, is increased funding for the Airport Improvement Program. This program provides grants to airports for planning and development projects, through both entitlement and competitive awards. More than 80 airports in Illinois receive funding through this program, and the awards have had a significant effect on enhancing the safety and efficiency of our State's airports. Just last spring, Quincy Regional Airport was awarded a $14 million competitive AIP grant for its runway reconstruction project. I was pleased to see that the bill will increase annual AIP funding from $3.3 billion to $4 billion.…”