Political Quotes

“I reiterate: This amendment trains and arms commercial pilots with a firearm to defend the cockpit of our Nation's commercial aircraft from acts of terrorism. The amendment also provides for increased training for flight attendants and communications devices for pilots and flight attendants to have the latest communications and video monitoring devices. Today, there are no defensive capabilities our Nation's pilots. No firearms. Only Federal air marshals, on a very small percentage of commercial flights, are armed to defend against terrorism. When all else has failed to defend a commercial aircraft, the only option for the defense of the public from the use of a commercial aircraft as an instrument of mass terror is for the United States military to shoot down that commercial aircraft. I firmly believe that we should give our Nation's pilots & flight attendants a fighting chance against terrorists before our Government resorts to shooting commercial aircraft out of the sky. I am proud to have joined a bipartisan coalition including Senator Zell Miller, Senator Conrad Burns, Senator Frank Murkowski, and Senator Barbara Boxer in introducing our bill, S. 2554, the 'Arming Pilots Against Terrorism and Cabin Defense Act of 2002.' On July 21, 2001, the FAA limited the carriage of weapons of aircraft to certain law enforcement officers. September 11, 2001--the worst terrorist attack in U.S. History. That attack could have been prevented if pilots were armed.”