[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20644-20645]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   HOUSE SHOULD FOLLOW SENATE'S LEAD ON AIRLINE SECURITY LEGISLATION

  (Mr. FORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I heard my dear friend from Florida rise, and 
I had not risen in some time but I wanted to have the record corrected.
  I was a part of a group of many Members on both sides of the aisle 
some few weeks ago who believed the argument put forward by many in the 
airline industry that if we did not pass an immediate industry 
stabilization package, I think totaling some $5 billion in cash and $10 
billion in loan guaranties, that the industry would sink.
  Here we are, some several weeks after, 130,000 employees laid off, 
yet I still believe we did the right thing. Many of my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle have expressed trepidation and concern about 
that vote, but here we are several weeks later still having done 
nothing to ensure the safety of those flying.
  The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is a friend, and a dear 
friend. But to hear him suggest that Democrats or some in this body are 
blocking passage of this legislation because we want Federal employees, 
nothing could

[[Page 20645]]

be further from the truth. We want to ensure that every airport 
security installation in this Nation is able to cross-share information 
with every other airport security installation in this Nation, which 
will secure the safety of all our passengers.
  Let us follow the lead of the Senate and pass a bill here in this 
House that will allow for the safety of all Americans all across this 
great Nation.

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