NAATS HEADQUARTERS EMAIL UPDATE

Volume 3, #71

April 11, 2003

It�s been a busy and eventful week on Capitol Hill. I worked with Senator Lautenberg�s staff for the FAA Reauthorization Hearings held yesterday and, at the hearing, the Senator again stated his opposition to ATC privatization in general and the A76 study in particular. He questioned the panel, including Administrator Blakey, on the purpose and cost of the study as well as the expected outcome.

Senator Lautenberg has also circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter to the other senators requesting their support for S.338. I�ve sent a copy of this letter to NAATS Webmaster John Dibble for posting on our website along with the FAA response to the Senator�s earlier letter of February 25. I met again with the Senator�s staff this morning to determine the next course of action. Congressional representatives from both NATCA and PASS were present and we are all coordinating our activities to try to get more Republican co-sponsors on this legislation.

The big news on the House side is that Congressman Oberstar offered his legislation yesterday in H.R.1711 (copy will be posted on our website). The language is different but it accomplishes the same goal -- ensuring "that functions relating to the air traffic control system are carried out directly by the United States Government." We worked closely with the Congressman�s staff in formulating this language and I�m happy to say that we already have two Republican original co-sponsors: LoBiondo (NJ) and Quinn (NY). I want to thank EA Regional Coordinator Ron Consalvo for all his work with Congressman LoBiondo -- it paid off. Thanks also to Dave Lombard at RDU who has also been working very hard on Congressman Hayes; we�re definitely getting closer.

We�ll continue to work with both the Senate and the House to reconcile the two bills and to get more co-sponsors. Republicans are particularly important. If you are a constituent of a Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee or the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we need your help. I urge you to contact your congressional representative(s) and ask them to co-sponsor S.338 or H.R.1711, as the case may be. We have the committee members posted on the website and I�ll also list the Republicans in this Update. If you need any other help feel free to contact me. Again, this is the best opportunity we will have for legislation. -- Wally Pike
Senate
Commerce, Science and Transportation

John McCain (AZ)
Ted Stevens (AK)
Conrad Burns (MT)
Trent Lott (MS)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
Sam Brownback (KS)
Gordon Smith (OR)
Peter Fitzgerald (IL)
John Ensign (NV)
George Allen (VA)
John Sununu (NH)

House
Transportation and Infrastructure


Don Young (AK)
Thomas Petri (WI)
Sherwood Boehlert (NY)
Howard Coble (NC)
John Duncan (TN)
Wayne Gilchrest (MD)
John Mica (FL)
Peter Hoekstra (MI)
Jack Quinn (NY)
Vernon Ehlers (MI)
Spencer Bachus (AL)
Steven LaTourette (OH)
Sue Kelly (NY)
Richard Baker (LA)
Bob Ney (OH)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
Jerry Moran (KS)
Gary Miller (CA)
Jim DeMint (SC)
Doug Bereuter (NE)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Robin Hayes (NC)
Robert Simmons (CT)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV)
Henry Brown, Jr. (SC)
Timothy Johnson (IL)
Dennis Rehberg (MT)
Todd Platts (PA)
Sam Graves (MO)
Mark Kennedy (MN)
Bill Shuster (PA)
John Boozman (AR)
John Sullivan (OK)
Chris Chocola (IN)
Bob Beauprez (CO)
Michael Burgess (TX)
Max Burns (GA)
Steve Pearce (NM)
Jim Gerlach (PA)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Jon Porter (NV)
 

Wally Pike