On the recordOctober 9, 2013
I thank the chairman for bringing this important piece of legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, it troubles me that the administration is once again going out of its way to cause pain for the American people and at great risk to America's safety. We see this up close and personal in my district with this incomprehensible closure of the FAA registry office. That is the office that allows air flights to be transferred, to be sold and bought and purchased and entered into service. In previous shutdowns, this office was deemed essential. It was kept open and for good reason. It is the equivalent of DMV for aircraft; you have to keep this pipeline moving. It is important for safety and for workers. It is affecting thousands of families all across the country who build these airplanes--engineers and workers and manufacturers and sheet metal benders--especially in the Fourth District, the air capital of the world. There are thousands of families, many of them hardworking union families folks across the aisle tell me they care deeply about, and I know that I do, too. I would urge these folks on the other side of the aisle to recognize the importance to our labor force, to keep America safe, to get the aircraft registry back open, and to pass this legislation on the floor today.
