Jefferson Shreve: “I rise today to commend the air traffic controllers and the men and women of the FAA. For 43 days, while the Democrats…”

“I rise today to commend the air traffic controllers and the men and women of the FAA. For 43 days, while the Democrats kept our government closed, the aviation system that they rely upon and the traveling public depend upon was pushed to the brink. As a member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I have seen up close how critical a fully functioning system is to safety and commerce. The Indianapolis International Airport is in my district. I spent time in the tower. I spent time in INDY Center, the regional air traffic control center. I met with the team running traffic in and out of the second largest FedEx air cargo hub in our district. When the good people who keep our skies moving tell you what is at stake, you pay attention. Their work is why I pushed to secure funding to modernize our outdated air traffic control technology. We have to invest in the next generation of controllers, cut the bureaucratic lag, and build a system worthy of the people who run it. I intend to keep at it.”