Senator Klobuchar: (2:19 p.m.)

• Spoke on FAA reauthorization.
  • "This five-year reauthorization bill will provide the long-term stability needed to encourage investments and help maintain American leadership in the global aviation marketplace. We know a lot about that in our state, being a major delta hub as well as the home of sun country airlines. So we know the kind of global competition that we are up against all the time, and that is a very important reason that America be a leader in aviation and not a follower. Changes in the airline industry in recent years have drastically altered the way consumers travel. New fees and complicated itineraries can make even routine travel confusing and expensive. Thankfully, this F.A.A. bill builds on important work we've done in past reauthorizations to strengthen protections for consumers while shopping, booking, and traveling."

 

Senator Markey: (2:27 p.m.)

• Spoke on FAA reauthorization.
  • "With this bill, Congress has missed an historic, months-in-a-generation opportunity to stop gargantuan airlines from gouging Americans with exorbitant fees. Last year Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, and I secured a provision in the senate F.A.A. reauthorization bill that would protect passengers from ridiculous, sky-high airline fees. Our fair fees provision directed the Department of Transportation to, one, assess whether change and cancellation and baggage and other fees are reasonable and proportional to the costs of the services which are being provided and, secondly, to ensure that change and cancellation fees are reasonable."

 

Senator Peters: (2:37 p.m.)

• Spoke on FAA reauthorization.
  • "I'm a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and I'm proud of all of our committee's work that made this long-term reauthorization possible, but I am especially thankful to our committee chairman, John Thune, and ranking member Bill Nelson for their leadership throughout this process. This bill makes critical investments in airport infrastructure. It promotes U.S. competition and leadership in aviation, increases safety in the national airspace system and strengthens consumer service practices across the commercial aviation sector. The legislation also delivers very strong support to rural communities in Michigan and across the nation by continuing the Essential Air Service or E.A.S. Program."

 

Senator Cantwell: (2:46 p.m.)

• Spoke on FAA reauthorization.
  • "Now, Mr. President, turning to the F.A.A. bill which I hope we are going to be considering very shortly here, I'm pleased that the Senate is looking at a five-year reauthorization. It wasn't that long ago that we were talking about short-term extensions and didn't know if we could get to this point of clearing the rest of these issues. So I'd like to thank my colleagues, Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, and my colleague on the Aviation Subcommittee, Chairman Blunt, for helping get us to this point. The work we've done in this legislation is so important because it's helping commercial aviation remain the safest and most secure in the world and to improve the traveling public's experience. "