Jay Rockefeller: “I am pleased to finally be able to support the adoption of the Federal Aviation Administration conference report. The…”

“I am pleased to finally be able to support the adoption of the Federal Aviation Administration conference report. The process that allowed us to get to this point has been unlike any other that I have ever experienced in my 19 years in the Senate, but we have secured a commitment from the administration that they will not move forward with contracting out any air traffic control functions, which has prevented the Senate from passing this report. I am pleased that my colleagues have confirmed this commitment. Over the last year, I have worked closely with Senators McCain, Hollings, and Lott on developing this important legislation. I thank them for all of their efforts on getting this bill done. It has not gone as easy as any of us would have liked, but the debate on privatization is important as it is fundamentally a debate on safety and security. Senator Lautenberg should be commended for his unrelenting commitment to making sure the United States has the safest and most secure air traffic control system in the world.”