Peter DeFazio

Hopefully the American public will recognize that more.

FAA claims they have no authority over health on airplanes, which is not true.

So a good bill is a good start. And we know that this economy and transportation workers are going to need more immediate help.

I am very concerned that we have conducted no studies.

Roads and bridges are not Democratic or Republican. We all drive on them.

Let me be clear: The single most important action this Congress can take right now to support our workforce and to provide for their safety is to invest in our infrastructure.

It is an honor to represent my flying partners and other aviation workers here today.

The PSP has saved the jobs of hundreds of thousands of aviation workers, including mine.

I would ask that the members of this committee reach out to the officials at Treasury, including Secretary Mnuchin, who are overseeing the PSP, and ask that they put a stop to these cuts and enforce the law as Congress intended.

We must all see racism and racial injustice for the disease that it is and seek to implement solutions that uplift and support our black and brown brothers and sisters and say with conviction, 'Black lives matter.'

While one hearing, one speech, with one piece of legislation cannot unravel generations of oppression, change can start today, right now, with all of us.

We must understand that this did not happen by accident; it was the direct result of systemic racism that has plagued our Nation.

In the two weeks since Mr. Floyd's murder, thousands of Americans have peacefully assembled in all 50 states to petition their government for change.

This is wrong. This is shameful. This is not what America should be, and we will not go back. We have had enough.

George Floyd's murder and those of Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are gasping reminders of the original sins of our nation that go back over 400 years.

The following week we will be taking up an infrastructure package and perhaps other bills.

I expect the week after next we will work on substantial justice reform in the House of Representatives.

COVID has disrupted the entire fabric of the country.

Despite the leadership of Chairman DeFazio and some of us who feel very strongly about a direct assistance, maritime-specific assistance to address COVID-19 needs, it is pretty clear, though, to a lot of us that the CARES Act, despite the…

I am obviously still a bit dubious about cruise lines at the end of July, but I understand they are selling tickets and some of them do intend to sail.

I think we should--I have run into that with a trucking company that does a lot of DoD work, too. And I think staff will need to follow up with Treasury and see how much of that money has been committed.

Thanks also for bringing up the 100th anniversary of the Jones Act. Yeah, I have been jumping on those who are looking at this as an opportunity to undermine the Jones Act and thus far we have been pretty successful in pushing back on them.

It is vitally important that this committee understand how the pandemic has affected the reliability and efficiency of our maritime industry.

We can't have them all go out of business, can't reconstitute this easily or quickly.

We need everything from personal protective equipment [PPE] for port workers, and we have heard a good deal about that, to assistance to deal with the marine terminal operators.