[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 126 (Tuesday, September 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1741]]
         AIR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND SYSTEM STABILIZATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2001

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, every single member of this body and 
every person in this country understand fully that a functioning 
airline industry is vital to the functioning of our country. Yet I 
stand in opposition to this legislation. Why?
  Because, remarkably, this bill completely ignores the heroes in the 
airlines industry who were and are most deeply and personally affected 
by the September 11 atrocities. I am speaking of the pilots who fly the 
airplanes, the flight attendants, the baggage handlers, the mechanics, 
the ticket agents--the workers who are now losing their jobs as a 
result of the September 11 attacks.
  You can look through every line of every page of this bill and you 
won't find a single mention of them. But those airline executives who 
earn over $300,000 will find a whole section of this bill devoted to 
them. It says that they can continue earning the same amount they did 
in year 2000, compensation amounting to $35 million for one CEO, $16 
million for another, and $12 million for a third. And if those CEO's 
decide they've had enough, this bill says their golden parachute can be 
twice their salary.
  But not a word about the up to 100,000 airline industry workers who 
will lose their jobs even if we pass this bill. An angry and hurt 
Association of Flight Attendants says, ``It's sad how quickly those who 
sacrifice to make our great country work, even in these times of 
tragedy, get left out when corporations go asking for taxpayer money.'' 
These workers are going to lose their jobs, and this bill says nothing 
about their loss of income, their loss of health insurance, nothing 
about job retaining.
  Some other people are missing from this bill--passengers. Without 
them, no amount of money will save the airline industry. Yet nothing in 
this bill addresses the reason why airports are quiet and airplanes are 
nearly empty, why business travelers, vacationers, families, 
conventioneers are changing their plans and staying home or driving. 
That reason is simple: Fear of flying. In this entire bill there are 
only two sentences that refer to airline safety and then only in 
passing. If passengers are looking for a list of measures that will be 
implemented to make airplanes and airports more secure, they better not 
look in this bill. If they are looking for a security timetable, they 
won't find it here.
  I stand here tonight ready to help the airline industry--but not just 
a part of it. Those who say they will help the workers next week or 
next month must be asked, Why not tonight? To those who tell consumers 
to wait for airline safety measures, I ask, Why can't they be part of 
this package? Are they less deserving, less important, less needy? We 
can go back and within hours add them. Then I would gladly and proudly 
vote yes.