Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Byrd-Stevens amendment that would protect the funding for the airline financial support program established by the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act of 2001. Congress and the President moved swiftly after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide the airline industry with critical financial support to avoid a crisis in our national transportation network and in our economy. The Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act signed into law on September 22, 2001 was designed to give airlines access to up to $15 billion in assistance. It included $5 billion for direct aid to pay for industry losses associated with the results of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. It also included $10 billion for loan guarantees. The Fiscal Year 2002 supplemental appropriations bill which we are debating this week would have reduced the size of the loan guarantee provision to $4 billion. The Byrd-Stevens amendment before the Senate for consideration this afternoon would strike the provision in the supplemental and restore the program to the full $10 billion level.”