[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 66 (Monday, May 13, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REDUCING FLIGHT DELAYS ACT

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 13, 2013

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support the Reducing Flight 
Delays Act (H.R. 1765) This legislation will allow the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) to end furloughs for air traffic controllers 
created by sequestration and keep our air traffic moving. However, I am 
frustrated by this bill's narrow, cost-shifting fix that fails to 
address the underlying problem of sequestration.
  In the first three days of this week, over three thousand flights 
were delayed because of staff furloughs. These delays could increase to 
several thousand per day and tens of thousands per week without action. 
While this bill does give the FAA the ability to stop the furloughs, it 
does not address sequestration's overall cuts to the Agency. Instead, 
this bill gives the FAA the ability to shift money between accounts, 
allowing staff furloughs to be prevented only by accepting even deeper 
cuts in other programs. This cost-shifting will cost us money in the 
long run, as maintenance and construction costs grow.
  Since taking effect in March, sequestration's impact has become 
clearer. The Department of Education's budget has been cut to FY2004 
levels, despite an additional six million children in school. Young 
children are being forced out of Headstart. Special education funding 
and assistance to impoverished schools has been cut. Schools serving 
Native American and military families are facing even greater deficits, 
because they rely heavily on federal funding. Where is the 
Congressional outrage for these cuts? Where is the quick legislative 
action to avert these crises? We should be taking just as decisive 
action to ensure our children can continue to attend Headstart as we 
are to keep the planes flying on time.
  I opposed the Budget Control Act because of sequestration's deep and 
indiscriminate cuts. This bill is not enough to address those cuts 
which are creating harm every single day. While I support this 
legislation to keep air traffic moving, I urge my Republican colleagues 
to take immediate action to reverse all of sequestration.

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