Arlen Specter: “I seek recognition to explain my vote against the motion to invoke cloture on the Rockefeller substitute amendment No.…”

“I seek recognition to explain my vote against the motion to invoke cloture on the Rockefeller substitute amendment No. 4627 to H.R. 2881, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. There are many aviation-related provisions in the substitute amendment which are of critical importance to both the Nation and my State, including: $290 million per year to modernize the air traffic control system; a $15.8 billion authorization of funds for the Airport Improvement Program; a requirement that airlines post the on-time performance of chronically delayed flights on their Web sites; a $175 million authorization of funds for Essential Air Service, EAS, to rural areas; and an extension of EAS eligibility for Lancaster, PA; and safety improvements related to the FAA's oversight of aircraft inspections. The legislation also includes nonaviation provisions to restore the solvency of the highway trust fund, which is a matter of critical importance, and to provide tax credit bonds for high-speed rail service, a measure that I helped put together. For these and other reasons, I believe it is imperative that the Senate act on this bill. However, I do not believe it would be appropriate to act on it without necessary and proper debate, and that is precisely what a vote for cloture on the substitute amendment would have represented.”