[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ADHERING TO OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, so-called flags of convenience have 
decimated the U.S. maritime industry to a tiny fraction of its former 
size. It is a system where owners chase the cheapest, most exploitable 
labor, and the least regulation around the world.
  Now the Department of Transportation under the Obama administration, 
in its infinite wisdom, wants to bring that system to aviation. Won't 
that be great when we are all flying in planes with crews coming out of 
Indonesia or India or somewhere else where they can be exploited, paid 
less, and maybe have kind of questionable credentials.
  Actually, they are issuing pilot certificates in India to people who 
have never ever flown a plane. That will just be dandy. But, hey, the 
tickets will be cheap. You might not get there, but you paid less to 
get on.
  This is absolutely absurd. We have the safest and best system of 
aviation in the world with our proud domestic airlines. Their employees 
get decent wages, we fly safe, and we want to now go to flags of 
convenience?
  They are ignoring the clear language of the Open Skies Agreement in 
making this decision. No to the Obama administration.

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