James Oberstar: “Mr. Chairman, I stand strongly supporting H.R. 4635, and I say this because the events of September 11 have caused us to…”

“Mr. Chairman, I stand strongly supporting H.R. 4635, and I say this because the events of September 11 have caused us to pause and reassess our security in the Nation's air travel. It has drastically altered the way we do business, and henceforth U.S. policies on safety and security must reflect a heightened awareness and preparation. September 11 events should keep us vigilant and aggressive in the development and deployment of new technologies and procedures. Mr. Chairman, it would be a serious mistake not to believe that more terrorist attacks like those experienced on September 11 could occur again. In fact, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Transportation Security Administration strongly indicate that the threat to aviation remains very high. Therefore, I believe that under these circumstances we must incorporate innovation in our approach to this very serious issue. We must support H.R. 4635, a pilot program that would allow trained and qualified pilots to serve as a last line of defense against such a potential disaster.”