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October 28, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H9959 CONFERENCE TOTAL—WITH COMPARISONS Federal Aviation Administration, and for tling of the air traffic control system The total new budget (obligational) au- other purposes, is hereby recommitted to the as we know it. We cannot allow our air thority for the fiscal year 2004 recommended committee of conference. traffic control system to be farmed out by the Committee of Conference, with com- b 1830 to the lowest bidder. Safety must come parisons to the fiscal year 2003 amount, the first, and we cannot do it on the cheap. 2004 budget estimates, and the House and The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. GIB- Members on both sides of the aisle feel Senate bills for 2004 follow: BONS). The gentleman from Florida so strongly about this provision that (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART) is recog- [In thousands of dollars] they have pledged to vote against the nized for 1 hour. New budget (obligational) conference report. authority, fiscal year (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Mr. Speaker, FAA controllers re- 2003 ................................. $20,111,481 Florida asked and was given permis- sponded magnificently during the trag- Budget estimates of new sion to revise and extend his remarks.) ic terrorist attacks of September 11. (obligational) authority, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of They successfully landed 4,482 aircraft fiscal year 2004 ................ 19,890,979 Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose within 2 hours without a single oper- House bill, fiscal year 2004 19,601,125 of debate only, I yield the customary 30 ational error. Their performance on Senate bill, fiscal year 2004 20,012,291 minutes to the gentleman from Massa- Conference agreement, fis- that fateful day earned them the U.S. chusetts (Mr. MCGOVERN), pending cal year 2004 1 .................. 20,171,163 Department of Transportation’s high- Conference agreement which I yield myself such time as I est award for achievement. But the compared with: may consume. During consideration of fact of the matter is they did an out- New budget this resolution, all time yielded is for standing job before 9/11, and they have (obligational) author- the purpose of debate only. continued to do so every day since. ity, fiscal year 2003 ...... +59,682 Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 377 is Budget estimates of new The FAA controllers and technicians a rule providing for the conference re- are a highly-skilled group of dedicated (obligational) author- port accompanying H.R. 2115, the ity, fiscal year 2004 ...... +280,184 professionals who deserve better than House bill, fiscal year Flight 100–Century of Aviation Reau- to be discarded just 2 short years after 2004 .............................. +570,038 thorization Act to be recommitted to the world became so familiar with the Senate bill, fiscal year the conference committee. In an effort challenges that they face. This con- 2004 .............................. +158,872 to ensure support for the bill, the ference report does not accord them 1 Conference agreement excludes 0.646% across-the- House committees of jurisdiction have the respect and the gratitude that they board cut. committed to making this important have earned and so rightly deserve. CHARLES H. TAYLOR, legislation even better through another Contrary to the various claims that BILL YOUNG, conference. have been made, this provision would RALPH REGULA, I would like to thank the gentleman not just affect airports that exclusively JIM KOLBE, from Alaska (Chairman YOUNG) for his serve general aviation aircraft. Eight- GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, extraordinary leadership on this issue, een of the airports included in the list Jr., as well as the other Members who have of 69 airports that could be privatized ZACH WAMP, worked hard to make this a reality as JOHN E. PETERSON, are served by commercial carriers. we continue to address the concerns of DON SHERWOOD, This includes Hanscom Airfield in my ANDER CRENSHAW, Members on both sides of the aisle. home State of Massachusetts, which is NORMAN D. DICKS, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to served by several commercial carriers, JOHN P. MURTHA, support this important rule. including Continental, Delta and JAMES P. MORAN, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of Northwest. But even more alarming is JOHN W. OLVER, my time. the fact that 11 of these 69 air towers Managers on the Part of the House. Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield are among the 50 busiest in the coun- CONRAD BURNS, myself 7 minutes. try. TED STEVENS, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman Now, as misguided as this provision THAD COCHRAN, from Florida (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ- is, the way it magically appeared in PETE DOMENICI, BALART) for yielding me the customary the conference report is just as galling. ROBERT F. BENNETT, time. Not only was the provision not in- JUDD GREGGNEW JERSEY, Mr. Speaker, the conference report BEN NIGHTHORSE cluded in either bill passed by the CAMPBELL, for H.R. 2115, the FAA Reauthorization House or the Senate, it runs com- SAM BROWNBACK, Act, is not quite ready for prime time. pletely counter to language in both the BYRON L. DORGAN, The good news is that the conference House and Senate bills that expressly ROBERT C. BYRD, report is complete. The bad news is prohibited the privatization of air traf- PATRICK J. LEAHY, that there is no way it can pass the fic control. Yet, the conference com- ERNEST HOLLINGS, House in its current form. That is why mittee, acting on orders from the HARRY REID, we are here today. By voting for this White House, defied the wishes of the DIANNE FEINSTEIN, rule, the House will send this con- BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Members who serve in both Chambers Managers on the Part of the Senate. ference report back to the conference and snuck this unwise, special-interest committee for further consideration, f provision into the conference report. an action that is sorely needed. This tactic, Mr. Speaker, is a new fa- PROVIDING FOR RECOMMITTAL OF Mr. Speaker, the reason we need to vorite of the Republican leadership. CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. recommit this conference report back They ignore what the full House and 2115, FLIGHT 100—CENTURY OF to the conference committee is simple: full Senate have done, and secretly re- AVIATION REAUTHORIZATION There are three major provisions in write important bills in some back ACT this bill that will undermine efforts to room. It is a terrible way to do the peo- Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of protect the American public, while ple’s business. It makes a mockery of Florida. Madam Speaker, by direction weakening our country’s competitive the legislative process and confirms of the Committee on Rules, I call up position in the international air cargo the most cynical suspicions people House Resolution 377 and ask for its markets. have about how this Congress operates. immediate consideration. The first and most obvious problem And it gets worse. A last minute one- The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- with the conference report is the provi- word change in the conference report lows: sion that would allow for the imme- has changed antiterrorism training for H. RES. 377 diate privatization of 69 air traffic con- flight crews from mandatory to discre- Resolved, That upon adoption of this reso- trol towers, with the authority to pri- tionary. The Homeland Security Act of lution the conference report to accompany vatize all other air traffic control tow- 2002 directed the Transportation Secu- the bill (H.R. 2115) to amend title 49, United ers after 4 years. If this provision be- rity Administration to issue security States Code, to reauthorize programs for the comes law, it will begin the disman- training guidelines for flight crews. H9960 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 28, 2003 Section 603 of the FAA conference re- Mr. Speaker, as Representative of from the conference report regarding the pri- port guts this directive in order to give one of the largest rural districts east of vatization of air traffic controllers. This pro- air carriers the authority to establish the Mississippi and cochairman of the vides the conference committee an excellent such training requirements. opportunity to remove the EAS local match Rural Congressional Caucus, I rise provision that was already stricken on both The TSA has developed the training today because I feel an obligation to the House and Senate floors and not included for Federal flight deck officers and the uphold the will of the House, which in either bill brought to the conference com- Federal air marshals. It only makes seems to have been bypassed in this re- mittee. sense that the TSA should be respon- port. Additionally, this provision will have un- sible for developing the antiterrorism Just several months ago, we had an told effects on many small rural commu- nities. It is unacceptable to force commu- training for flight attendants so that amendment on the floor here that re- there is a coordinated response from nities to pay up to $100,000 in a local cost moved a provision that forced rural share, in addition to the many costs they the entire flight crew in the event of a airports to pay a portion of up to 10 currently incur in running a small local air- terrorist attack. To do anything less, percent of the essential air service that port. Mr. Speaker, is to place special inter- helps them provide service in difficult We respectfully request the removal of ests above passenger and crew safety, times. The House removed it; the Sen- Section 408 from the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act Conference and that is absolutely unacceptable. ate removed it. Today, it is back here. The third and final provision of this Report before it is brought to the House and Now, it is limited to 10 communities conference report that must be fixed is Senate floors for consideration and we look and it will not hurt as many, but it is the giveaway exemption that will allow forward to working with you in the future to ensure rural communities continue to re- foreign airlines to carry air cargo be- very possible that for these 10 commu- nities, it could cost over $100,000.

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