Nancy Kassebaum: “I just suggest, Mr. President, that the 15 years, when you have gone without manufacturing or design defect, applies the…”

“I just suggest, Mr. President, that the 15 years, when you have gone without manufacturing or design defect, applies the same to piston-powered or jet-powered. I think that whether it is the military or civilian, if you have flown a plane for 15 years and there has not been a defect, then clearly the plane is going to survive. I grant that there would be an exception, but are we going to close down one aspect of an important industry that has always been at the cutting edge of aviation just because of those exceptions? There will be those and they will have to be answered. I feel that we are missing the point here when we try to bring in all these other aspects. I am not quite sure about the military. I think the military is going to keep their planes in good repair. They are constantly being flown. During any stress tests, if they show a part needs to be replaced, it will be replaced, and a new 15-year statute of repose would go into effect.”