[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H3458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PLAN TO PRIVATIZE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

  (Mr. BERRY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, on June 4 of this year, the administration 
amended executive order 13180 dated 12/7/2000 by amending the language 
that deemed air traffic control as an inherently governmental function. 
This is the first step toward privatization of air traffic control, and 
it is a slap in the face to our Nation's wonderful air traffic 
controllers.
  On 9/11 our air traffic controllers safely landed 5,000 planes in 2 
hours without an error. They did an incredible job. What else must be 
done to prove that the current system that we have that is in place 
works well?
  Mr. Speaker, I do not want my family or other Americans to board 
commercial airliners that the traffic in the sky is controlled by the 
lowest bidder. I think we have tried that with airline security and 
have clearly demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt that it does not 
work.
  I rise today in opposition to this plan to privatize air traffic 
control.

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