Frank Lautenberg: “I rise because I want to support this legislation to reauthorize many of the FAA programs and to do what we can to…”

“I rise because I want to support this legislation to reauthorize many of the FAA programs and to do what we can to improve our Nation's system of aviation security, a subject I have had a longtime interest in. I did serve on the Pan Am 103 Commission that reviewed what took place there and was one of the authors of the recommendations that were submitted in 1990. First, I commend my colleague, my friend from Kentucky, Senator Ford, and my colleague, the Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain, for their work on this issue. It is not only a critical issue, but the timing certainly is critical in terms of some response that we have to have to what has been taking place. Terrorist threats to our aviation system as well as our general living in this country certainly call for a response from this body and from our colleagues across the Capitol to try to do something to improve a system that is fundamentally pretty good. As a matter of fact, it is very good. I could not have faced, as I have in the State of New Jersey, people who lost loved ones on Pan Am 103 in 1988 nor those who lost family members, friends, loved ones on TWA 800--I was in Long Island shortly after that plane went down. I was out there a couple of weeks ago with the Secretary of Transportation, met with the FBI, people from the NTSB, people from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. I could not have faced any of the surviving families and said to them, be assured; the system is safe.”