After Tuesday’s press conference, more news has come of happenings in Washington surrounding the furloughs of air traffic controllers.
In a press release Thursday, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), author of the Protect Our Skies Act, released the following statement on the Senate’s unanimous passage of a bill to provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to transfer funds to prevent reduced operations and staffing at the FAA:
“Something rare has happened in Washington; the Senate came together on a bipartisan basis to put common sense before politics. While I believe the White House already had the flexibility they needed to avoid this situation, the bill passed tonight unequivocally directs the FAA to solve this problem and find savings elsewhere in their budget rather than target air traffic controllers for furloughs. The bill’s language provides the FAA with more than enough funding flexibility to protect the 149 contract control towers slated for closure as well. This bipartisan solution is a victory for air travelers and communities nationwide, and I look forward to swift passage by the House.
“The White House played a dangerous game by using flight delays and the closing of control towers as political strategy. If the Obama Administration wants to make the political point that Washington cannot cut spending without disastrous consequences, let’s have the debate. But they must stop putting politics before common sense.”
