Senate Proceeding on May 6th, 2008 :: 3:49:05 to 3:57:24
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3:48:53 to 3:49:05( Edit History Discussion )

is blocking amendments, preventing debate, forcing a cloture vote, and hoping that the republicans vote against it. then press releases will be sent out blaming republicans for obstructionism. but, mr.

3:49:05 to 3:49:12( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: president, i have to say, what is obstruction? i don't think most americans would define obstruction as insisting that an f.a.a. bill -- that's the federal aviation administration -- not include unnecessary

3:49:05 to 3:57:24( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Ted Stevens

3:49:12 to 3:49:23( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: and imprudent tax increases; even worse, retroactive tax increases, you be relateed to aviation. i have suggested several options in an attempt to introduce an f.a.a. reauthorization package, upon

3:49:23 to 3:49:38( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: which most members could agree. but those suggestions have been turned down by the other side. unfortunately, this bill is being bogged down by trying to make it an omnibus tax and special projects

3:49:38 to 3:49:51( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: package. mr. president, it is so important that we pass an aviation bill. that is why i have introduced s. 2972 which is currently at the desk, and i would like to ask unanimous consent that senator

3:49:51 to 3:50:04( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: ted stevens be added as a cosponsor of s. 2972. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. hutchison: mr. president, the text of s. 2972 is identical to the substitute we worked on last week. it is

3:50:04 to 3:50:18( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: the bill that came out of the commerce committee with complete bipartisanship. but it does not include the unrelated and extraneous tax provisions. it does have the aviation taxes that came out of the finance committee,

3:50:18 to 3:50:34( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: which all of us agreed to. it does not have all of the other tax provisions that have nothing to do with aviation, some of which are retroactive and have nothing to do with f.a.a. i've also conveyed

3:50:34 to 3:50:43( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: to my friends and colleagues on the finance committee that i'm supportive of moving forward on a bill that would replenish the highway trust fund. i think we could all agree on that. but, mr. president, this

3:50:43 to 3:50:55( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: is a workable f.a.a. reauthorization bill, and it is very important to me because of the important role of aviation in our country and in my home state. in texas alone, aviation accounts for nearly 60,000

3:50:55 to 3:51:06( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: jobs and over $8 billion in total economic output. in addition, we are also home to two of the top ten busiest airports in the nation. we have 23 commercial service airports and over 300 general aviation

3:51:06 to 3:51:23( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: airports. beyond infrastructure, we're also the proud home of two legacy airlines: american and continental, and the home state of the predominant low-cost carrier, southwest. my state has a dynamic

3:51:23 to 3:51:36( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: aviation footprint and a substantial interest in the future of this challenged industry. since the year 2000, the u.s. airline industry has gone through its most fundamental restructuring since congress

3:51:36 to 3:51:47( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: deregulated the industry in the late 1970's. we all know so well the horrific impacts of 9/11 and what happened to the industry after that and is still affecting it today. you put on top of that the

3:51:47 to 3:52:02( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: high fuel prices which are affecting aviation even more than regular gasoline at the pump, and you have a situation in which we have an industry that is really teetering on the brink of disaster. since

3:52:02 to 3:52:16( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: taking over as ranking member of the aviation subcommittee earlier this year, i've worked closely with my friend and colleague, senator jay rockefeller. we have developed a bill that all of us agreed

3:52:16 to 3:52:31( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: on, with the complete support of senator inouye, the chairman of the full committee, and senator stevens, the vice chairman. we have worked hard to develop a package that would foster air traffic modernization,

3:52:31 to 3:52:44( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: doing it without doing damage to the commercial airline industry, and with the complete support of the general aviation community. mr. president, we produced a bill that was bipartisan with the support

3:52:44 to 3:52:59( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: of our committee. here are some of the important provisions in the bill that we produced. it has important safety and passenger protections. the u.s. commercial aviation industry is experiencing the safest

3:52:59 to 3:53:10( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: in our history. however, recent high-profile aviation safety incidents have given the public some concern. in response, the committee has crafted several new safety initiatives in the substitute based on

3:53:10 to 3:53:22( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: the recommendations of the department of transportation inspector general. the new package ensures the f.a.a.'s voluntary disclosure reporting process, requires inspectors to verify the airplanes actually

3:53:22 to 3:53:36( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: took the corrective actions they stated they would. to evaluate if the air carrier has offered a comprehensive solution before accepting the disclosure and confirming that the corrective action is completed

3:53:36 to 3:53:48( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: and adequately addresses the problem disclosed. the bill implements a process for second-level supervisory review of self-disclosures before they are accepted and closed. acceptance would not rest solely

3:53:48 to 3:54:02( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: with one inspector. a revised post-employment guidance to require a cooling-off period of two years before an f.a.a. inspector is hired at an air carrier he or she previously inspected. i personally

3:54:02 to 3:54:18( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: would like to see that extended beyond two years, to three or four years. if we had had an amendment process, that would have been one of my amendments. the bill implements a process to track field

3:54:18 to 3:54:31( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: office inspectors and alert the local, regional, and headquarters offices to overdue inspections. it establishes an independent review through the government accountability office, the g.a.o., to review

3:54:31 to 3:54:45( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: and investigate air safety issues identified by its employees. it develops a national review team under the supervision of the department of transportation inspector general to conduct periodic reviews

3:54:45 to 3:54:56( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: of f.a.a.'s oversight of air carriers. it develops a plan for the reduction of runway incursions through a review of all commercial airports and establishes a process for tracking and investigating

3:54:56 to 3:55:08( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: both runway incursions and operational errors that include random auditing of the oversight process. mr. president, i'm the former vice chairman of the national transportation safety board. i understand

3:55:08 to 3:55:21( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: the crucial mission of the f.a.a. in overseeing the nation's airlines and aviation system. aviation safety and the public trust that goes along with it is the bedrock of our national aviation policy. we

3:55:21 to 3:55:33( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: cannot allow the degradation of service to the flying public.| i believe the bill we crafted in the commerce commitee that is part of the substitute that i would agree with today, and all of that

3:55:33 to 3:55:46( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: is also in the bill that i have introduced, but without the extraneous provisions that have nothing to do with aviation. the other part of the bill that is if what the commerce commitee produced and it's

3:55:46 to 3:55:55( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: if my substitute, as well, is the timely issue of consumer protections or a passenger bill of rights. the substitute includes several crucial reforms directed at making the airlines more accountable and responsive

3:55:55 to 3:56:03( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: to passengers. the managers' amendment would incorporate several additional provisions to strengthen airline service requireme. the d.o.t. would review and approve the contingency service plans of

3:56:03 to 3:56:13( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: every air carrier. the secretary could disapprove an airlines' plan and return it to the carrier for modification and resubmittal and the d.o.t. would be authorized to establish minimum standards for

3:56:13 to 3:56:24( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: such contingency plans. it would require a mandate that such contingency plans are to apply to aircraft that are delayed -- whether on departure or arrival. mr. president, we've all heard stories about people

3:56:24 to 3:56:37( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: who have been stranded on airlines for five hours without any food service or the opportunity to use the facilities. that is cruel and unusual punishment. i, myself, have been on airplanes that have

3:56:37 to 3:56:47( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: been delayed two hours and more and i know it is very uncomfortable for passengers. that's why we included in this bill requirement that airlines either -- requirements that airlines either have a

3:56:47 to 3:57:00( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: plan or there is a three-hour maximum or the passenger could get off. the establishment of a advisory commission for aviation consumer protection would also be put if put in this bill to advise the department

3:57:00 to 3:57:12( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: of transportation in these air service improvements and what is necessary to make them better. the committee is comprised of four members, appointed by the secretary, with a requirement to report

3:57:12 to 3:57:24( Edit History Discussion )

Ted Stevens: to congress anually over a two-year-period over recommendations to improve this service and an explanation of the department's action on each of the recommendations. these are some of the important

3:57:24 to 3:57:33( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Durbin: provisions in the commerce commitee bill. they are in the bill that would be before us and they would be in the bill that i would like to see us pass that i have introduced and is being held at the desk.

3:57:24 to 4:17:57( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Richard Durbin