Even though he's not one of my favorite Democrats, I'm going to give Senator Mark Pryor (D. AR) a little shout out tonight for this:
http://nwahomepage.com/...
Arkansas' two U.S. senators are taking action to prevent the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from shutting down air traffic control towers.
Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman today signed on to bipartisan legislation stopping the FAA from cutting funding to 149 contract control towers nationwide due to sequestration. Towers in Fayetteville and Texarkana are on the elimination list the FAA released last month.
"Over the past month, Senator Boozman and I have fought hard against the FAA's irresponsible plan to cut air traffic control towers in Arkansas," Pryor said. "These tower closures would not only negatively impact jobs and economic development in our state, but across the whole country. The Senate should take up and pass this bill immediately." - NWA, 4/10/13
Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the bill and Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Al Franken (D-MN), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Tom Udall (D-NM), David Vitter (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are all co-sponsors. Pryor is urging the Senate to pass this bill to keep the towers functioning:
http://swtimes.com/...
“These tower closures would not only negatively impact jobs and economic development in our state, but across the whole country. The Senate should take up and pass this bill immediately,” Pryor said in a statement Wednesday. - Times Record, 4/10/13
Right now, closing for 149 air traffic control towers are being delayed until June:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
The closings of control towers at 149 small airports, due to begin this weekend because of government-wide spending cuts, are being delayed until June 15, federal regulators announced Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it needs more time to deal with legal challenges to the closures.
Also, about 50 airport authorities and other “stakeholders” have indicated they want to fund the operations of the towers themselves rather than see them shut down, and more time will be needed to work out those plans, the agency said in a statement.
The first 24 tower closures were scheduled to begin Sunday, with the rest coming over the next few weeks. Obama administration officials have said the closures are necessary to accomplish government-wide automatic spending cuts required by Congress. - TPM, 4/5/13
If you'd like to get more info on the legislation, contact Pryor's office so you can get your Senator to get behind this bill:
202-224-2353