Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 884, the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act, responds to a 2015 Government Accountability Office recommendation and looks to establish clear roles and responsibilities among Federal agencies and air transportation operators in the event of a communicable disease outbreak. I want to be clear that this bill only applies to future disease outbreaks, and it is intended to guarantee that the confusion we have seen among Federal agencies and air carrier operators is addressed and does not repeat itself as we saw in the past few years. America's aviation sector is absolutely critical to our economy. It is critical to moving travelers for business, travelers to visit family, and for tourism purposes. Goods must be transported all across the United States and the globe. We have to make sure that we are able to limit, contain, and reduce the impact of these disease outbreaks in a timely, decisive, and coordinated manner. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Larsen and Chairman DeFazio for working on this bill. Mr. Speaker, again, I reiterate that this bill is only for future outbreaks. It only applies to future communicable disease outbreaks. What is more, it grants no additional pandemic-related authority to Federal agencies. It simply ensures there is a plan in place among U.S. carriers so they can develop a timely and decisive response plan in the event of a future outbreak. Mr.…”