[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5964]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           FAA FLIGHT DELAYS

  (Mrs. WAGNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, we have seen these political games played 
before with sequestration, and the American people have responded 
unfavorably every time. This decision to furlough air traffic 
controllers by the FAA is no different.
  Staff shortages as a result of these furloughs led to more than 2,250 
flight delays in the first 2 days alone, greatly--greatly--
inconveniencing the schedules of many people trying to travel across 
our country. These delays are all unnecessary.
  There are $2.7 billion in nonpersonnel operational costs that the 
House Transportation Committee has identified and which could be 
examined before furloughs that ultimately hurt the American people. The 
FAA and this administration have decided to inconvenience the American 
traveler instead of using its flexibility within the agency to enact 
these cuts in a responsible manner.
  When air traffic controllers are being furloughed, yet workers 
helping implement ObamaCare have been unaffected, it becomes clear on 
where this administration's priorities are.
  I am very concerned with Democrats using this latest example of a 
manufactured crisis to cut workers, not waste.

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