Political Quotes

“I rise today, certain that, by now, some of the desk staff have memorized the speech I am about to give because it is the third time that I will have given it in the last few weeks on a topic that is really important to Virginia--the FAA reauthorization bill that is now pending before the body. I want to thank Chairwoman Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and the members of the Commerce Committee because, as a general matter, this is a necessary bill with a lot of good provisions in it--in particular, the work on air traffic control recruitment and training and pilot training hours. I feel very, very good about that work that has been done. But the gist of this bill is to promote air safety, and there is one provision in the bill that is dramatically contrary to the thrust of this bill. It will not increase air safety. It will reduce air safety, and it will reduce air safety in the Capital of the United States--at Reagan National Airport, otherwise known as DCA. I am going to summarize quickly the arguments I made in the last couple of weeks, but then I want to respond to at least three questions that folks who take a position opposite to me have raised and use some data to demonstrate that those questions, though honestly raised, have answers, and the answers actually verify and uphold the position that I and my Maryland and Virginia colleagues take: that we should not be jamming more flights onto the busiest runway in the United States.…”