Union Says House Republicans' Unwillingness to Put Safety Over
Political Ideology Apparent In FAA Reauthorization
It's been 98 days since
a Congressional conference committee began desecrating the
legislative process under cloak of darkness by destroying an air
traffic control privatization ban unanimously passed by both the
House and Senate. Today, House Republicans continued to undermine
the will of the public with a vote that leaves the world's safest
air traffic control system vulnerable to privatization.
"Many months ago our members of Congress talked with great
eloquence about how putting profits before safety nearly ruined our
nation's space system," said John Carr, president of the National
Air Traffic Controllers Association.
"Today, a narrow majority proved that their words weren't quite
sincere. Let's hope that Congress ten years from now is not making
the same statement regarding air traffic control. Sadly, I fear
today's action may put us on that track. House Republicans simply
have failed to heed the lessons of mission control when it comes to
air traffic control," Carr said.
"It is a shame that after much arm-twisting, some Republicans
reversed their earlier vote to specifically prohibit privatization
of our skies," Carr said after the House voted to approve a Federal
Aviation Administration (news - web sites) funding bill that
jeopardizes air safety.
"They seemed to forget that the House voted 418-8 to ban
privatization and 94-0 in the Senate. Democracy has taken a big
hit. What's the point of a checks and balances system of government
if the overwhelming will of both houses of Congress can get tossed
aside like yesterday's trash? "
NATCA remains steadfastly opposed to the new conference report
because not only does it offer the air traffic control system no
protection from privatization, it expressly grants that power to
the FAA in an obscure section (105) of the bill. FAA Administrator
Marion Blakey clearly stated in calls to dozens of reporters on
Tuesday that the agency has the power to privatize air traffic
control towers today - with or without legislation granting such
authority. A privatization ban, therefore, is needed.
"Anyone who still believes Administrator Blakey when she says
that the FAA has no plans to privatize has had the wool pulled over
their eyes," Carr stated. "This agency is holding up a critical,
$60 billion bill to protect their ability to do something they say
they don't want to do. It's sheer lunacy."
Carr concluded: "We applaud the bravery of those House
Republicans who did stand strong for safety in the face of
overwhelming pressure. Now we look to the Senate and ask them to
show their courage as well to protect the safety of the skies and
continue to oppose this or any bill that does not prohibit the FAA
from selling the world's safest and best air traffic control system
to the lowest bidder."