James Oberstar: “I support H.R. 2843, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, and I urge our colleagues to vote for it today. I commend…”

“I support H.R. 2843, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, and I urge our colleagues to vote for it today. I commend Chairman Duncan and Congressman Lipinski for working closely together in a nonpartisan fashion to develop a bill that was reported out of the Committee with no dissenting votes. Other speakers have done a good job of explaining the legislation. This bill will move us along the road to an industry standard that will require the carriage of heart defibrillator equipment on airliners. I firmly believe that if there is safety technology available and some in the industry are utilizing it to good benefit, then there is little reason not to require all of the industry to take similar steps. The traveling public expects that when they board an airliner that there will be equivalent levels of safety. I want to strongly commend those airlines, Delta, American, Alaska, and United, for recognizing the need, being forward-thinking enough to recognize new developments in medical technology, and taking the initiative to carry defibrillators without waiting for the government to require them. It is because of these sorts of steps that these particular airlines are widely recognized and appreciated as leaders in aviation safety. This bill, if enacted this year, will likely lead us to a rule about two years from now, requiring defibrillators on airline aircraft.”