Frank Lautenberg: “It is apparent the Congressman from Alaska wants to make sure his people are safe when they are in and out of that…”

“It is apparent the Congressman from Alaska wants to make sure his people are safe when they are in and out of that airport. He doesn't want to be privatized, and neither do I, or most of the people in the Chamber. I have great respect for the Senator from Mississippi. He and I will agree on lots of things. When we don't, they are usually deep disagreements. We all want the system to function. The Senator from Arizona certainly understands aviation and how the system operates, but he said something in his remarks that really struck me. No matter what happens, this program is going to get funded. It is going to get funded regardless of the action we take tonight. Why it is that the President of the United States and his people decided to delay implementation of this reauthorization, I will never know. This is kind of like a Custer's last stand: We are going to teach you Democrats something. Don't teach us; teach the American people how you care about them, about their safety.”