[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 10 (Friday, January 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S658-S659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING CREW OF U.S. AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 AND NY CITY EMERGENCY 
                               RESPONDERS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to S. 
Res. 17.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 17) recognizing and honoring Captain 
     Chesley ``Sully'' Sullenberger, III, his copilot Jeffrey 
     Skiles, the crewmembers of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, and the 
     first responders, ferry operators, and tug boat drivers of 
     New York City, for their heroic and intuitive roles in the 
     safe emergency landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any 
statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 17) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 17

       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III is a native of Danville, 
     California;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III has a bachelor of science 
     degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a master of 
     science degree from Purdue University, and a master of the 
     arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III has been named a Visiting 
     Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III bravely served his country 
     as a United States Air Force fighter pilot;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III has committed his career 
     to aviation safety by serving as an instructor, safety 
     chairman, accident investigator, and national technical 
     committee member of the Air Line Pilots Association;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III has played an active role 
     in numerous accident investigations by the United States Air 
     Force and the National Transportation Safety Board;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III has played an important 
     role in the development and implementation of the Crew 
     Resource Management course used at U.S. Airways, and has 
     educated hundreds of his colleagues in the course;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III is a veteran pilot who has 
     flown for more than 40 years;
       Whereas Jeffrey Skiles is a native of Oregon, Wisconsin;
       Whereas Jeffrey Skiles has been flying planes since he was 
     15 years old;
       Whereas Jeffrey Skiles has been an employee of U.S. Airways 
     for 25 years;
       Whereas, on January 15, 2009, Chesley Sullenberger III and 
     his co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles averted a devastating disaster by 
     safely and masterfully landing U.S. Airways Flight 1549 on 
     the Hudson River in New York, New York;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III did not deplane his 
     aircraft until all 150 passengers

[[Page S659]]

     and 4 other crewmembers were safely evacuated;
       Whereas the crewmembers of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 and the 
     first responders, ferry operators, and tugboat drivers of New 
     York City played critical roles in ensuring that the 
     passengers and crewmembers on the airplane were expeditiously 
     taken to safety, and that there were no fatalities in the 
     accident;
       Whereas Chesley Sullenberger III, Jeffrey Skiles, U.S. 
     Airways Flight 1549 crewmembers, and the first responders, 
     ferry operators, and tugboat drivers of New York City are 
     true American heroes and are deserving of the praise and 
     gratitude of the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and honors Chesley 
     Sullenberger III, Jeffrey Skiles, the crewmembers and 
     passengers of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, and the first 
     responders, ferry operators, and tugboat drivers of New York 
     City for their heroic efforts in the safe emergency landing 
     of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, which saved 155 lives.

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