On the recordFebruary 16, 2011
I come to the floor today to speak about comments I have heard from both the chairman and the ranking member this morning about the FAA bill. First of all, I wish to thank them for their hard work and diligence on this legislation. This hasn't just come now, this year; this is something the chairman and ranking member have been working on for several years. I had a chance yesterday to talk about the NextGen system and how many jobs are going to be created from high-wage technology that is going to be used to modernize our transportation system. It is going to deliver flights that are probably 20 percent more on time, it will save us probably 5 or 6 percent on fuel, it is going to lower CO2, and it is going to improve the experience for passengers. So I am all for the FAA underlying bill and I applaud my colleagues for their hard work in trying to make this legislation a reality and doing so this week. I have concerns about the proposed Hutchison amendment.
