Political Quotes

“If this bill said to raise the age to 60 or 61, I would not be for it. All it says is the National Transportation Safety Board should look at the issue. Fifteen other countries do it. We know what has happened. There has been some political pressure by one group who has come in and said, ``Don't even look at it.'' We cannot put our head in the sand on this issue. You can argue it is age discrimination. Should we have an amendment that every Member of Congress over 60 ought to bail out of here? That every surgeon ought to bail out of here? That every dentist ought to bail out of here? That every whatever ought to bail out of here? The answer is no. All it is is a study to see, because it may be a major safety issue. Let me just read a couple of things. The NTSB at our hearing stated that there is data showing that flying skills, judgment, and seasoning in general do improve with experience. If you think back to the Sioux City accident, the United Airlines pilot who saved a lot of lives was able to avert a tragic accident at the last minute. That pilot was 59 years old and had to retire the following year.”