[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15521]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REFORMING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 21st Century AIRR 
Act, a comprehensive act to reauthorize the FAA and reform air traffic 
control.
  Our aviation system was once the best in the world, but, 
unfortunately, America is no longer first in flight. Ask anyone who 
flies. They know our aviation system is plagued with inefficiencies. 
These range from indirect routes that send us all over, trying to get 
from one point to another; seemingly endless delays; and time wasted on 
the tarmac, hoping to take off to head to your destination.
  These delays and congestion cost travelers and our economy an 
estimated $25 billion a year.
  You may have heard that argument that there is nothing we can do; 50 
percent of our air traffic delays are caused by bad weather.
  Well, underlying that is 50 percent of our delays are caused by bad 
weather because you have to space out aircraft further and differently 
when the weather is inclement.
  Why is that?
  Well, in many cases, we are using World War II radar technology to 
keep track of modern aviation. In fact, over 400 air traffic control 
facilities were built before the invention of the internet and 9 of 
them are old enough to collect Medicare if they were a live human 
being. Think about that. They are that old.
  Questions have been asked: Why haven't we simply fixed the problem?
  After all, taxpayers and passengers have poured billions of dollars 
into the FAA to modernize that system over the last 30 years, yet we 
have little to show for it.
  As President Clinton pointed out nearly 20 years ago, ``part of the 
problem is our outdated technology . . . but a more fundamental problem 
is also how the FAA operates.''
  I couldn't agree more.
  We recently had a hearing regarding air traffic control, and the FAA 
was asked: What does it take to get to a modern air traffic control 
system like is used in other parts of the developed world?
  I was told: If we had 10 more years and $30 billion more, we would 
hope to have the project done.
  I come from private business. Hope is not a plan.
  The 21st Century AIRR Act would replace a Federal entity that has 
proven itself to be ineffective with an independent, not-for-profit 
board tasked with modernizing our air traffic control system. They 
would have one duty: providing the safest, most efficient air traffic 
control service to all users.
  Contrary to critics, our board would be balanced. It would be 
comprised of users of the system. All are represented equally.
  Quickly, let me bust a few myths here.
  Critics argue that transferring air traffic control services from the 
FAA to a new entity would be a free giveaway of Federal assets.
  Well, first, let me state they are not Federal assets. They are our 
assets. We paid for them. Everyone in this Chamber has paid for them. 
Every taxpayer has paid for them. They are owned by the people.
  Most of these assets are so old and outdated that, in many cases, 
they are actually a liability. There are many facilities that are 
actually environmental brownfields.
  A number of FAA facilities no longer meet OSHA standards, yet, 
somehow, some of the critics claim that these are valuable Federal 
assets. In fact, users are going to pay to update this air traffic 
control system. They will pay for the equipment, staff, and technology 
to finally update a system that we have been trying to do for over 30 
years.
  Many in this Chamber talk about refocusing the Federal Government, 
reducing it back to its core missions, reducing government back to what 
it does best. This bill does just that.
  Mr. Speaker, after billions of dollars and decades of Federal 
bureaucrats' fruitless efforts to modernize our air traffic system, it 
is time for change. It is time for real reform.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill does exactly that. Let's bring the bill to the 
floor. Let's achieve real reform, rather than just talking about it.

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