Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise today in support of the bill that is before us--the FAA reauthorization legislation, which is currently on the Senate floor. I thank Senator Dorgan, the neighboring State to Minnesota, for his leadership on the committee and on the subcommittee. I am proud to be a member of that subcommittee and to have worked on this bill. The air transportation system is important to all Americans and certainly to the people of my State. Minnesota is the childhood home of Charles Lindberg. Today, Minnesota is a major hub of Delta, which was previously Northwest Airlines. It flies people literally all over the world. We are also home to Cirrus Aircraft, which is one of the manufacturers of smaller planes up in Duluth. We have thousands of pilots and airline employees who fly each and every day, both for their enjoyment as well as for their livelihood. As anyone who has recently flown on an airplane knows, our airport transportation system is strained and it is subject to increased congestion and delay. Recent notable incidents have, in fact, called into question the safety of our commercial aircraft as well as the training of a few of the pilots who fly them. We know, for the most part, that we have a very good air system, but we also know there must be improvements, especially if we are going to compete on a global basis with other countries that are working to update their air traffic systems.…”