Chris Smith: “both of my older brothers are competent, experienced master pilots with thousands of flight hours. One flew Hueys and…”

“both of my older brothers are competent, experienced master pilots with thousands of flight hours. One flew Hueys and Cobra Army helicopters; another brother is a former aircraft fighter pilot who flew A-7s off the USS Enterprise. Today he is a 757 captain with a major airline. What we do today holds an added personal significance for me and my family. After the jets and planes went back into the sky following the horrific tragedy of September 11, he and his wife, who is a flight attendant, courageously did their jobs. They, like many other air crews, braved flight despite the fact that serious flaws in aircraft security remained. We can change that today. The pilots and air crews, like the police, fire and emergency 'first responders' at ground zero are heroes. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, admiration, and respect. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the approach to ensuring aviation safety, Members are fully committed to protecting every flight crew and passenger in America. To suggest otherwise is demagoguery. I assume goodwill on both sides. The current aviation security system is broken big time. The private sector system that we have had in the past, and I would submit, even with federal 'supervision' going forward is likely to be less than the optimum. The Private Sector may not be up to the challenge of dealing with the new magnitude of terrorist threats that America faces.”