Full Transcript for Legislating for Safety: Rep. Rob Bresnahan

hard we fought with inside of the ROTOR Act and the ALERT Act, seeing, you know, I f- I can be in New York City in 47 minutes from where I'm based out of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, KAVP. 19 00:02:15,828.79711859 --> 00:02:27,708.79711859 And you think about different opportunities that why would you not implement technology that most of our new student pilots are learning how to fly with EFBs of some sort. 20 00:02:27,988.79711859 --> 00:02:31,568.79711859 It's being ingrained into the training curriculum. 21 00:02:31,928.79711859 --> 00:02:46,568.79711859 perhaps there are different situations and where you can look at airspace that might not be as busy, but I gave the example, when speaking to the membership I was flying recently from southeast Pennsylvania back to Wilkes-Barre, and there was a glider. 22 00:02:46,598.79711859 --> 00:02:53,78.13678601 And, I was going through VFR flight following, and I was transitioning out of, going north of Allentown, and there was a glider. 23 00:02:53,378.13778601 --> 00:02:56,378.13778601 And it was not being picked up on any targets. 24 00:02:56,388.13778601 --> 00:02:59,868.13778601 It was not broadcasting under any different circumstances. 25 00:03:00,144.80445268 --> 00:03:03,504.80445268 it was a point that actually, I contacted the, departure frequency. 26 00:03:03,504.80445268 --> 00:03:14,794.80445268 I said, "Hey, is this, was this ascending? Is it descending?" But just like that, something catastrophic could happen, and Congress has a responsibility to protect the American traveling public. 27 00:03:14,794.80445268 --> 00:03:17,744.80445268 They have a responsibility to protect every American. 28 00:03:17,754.80445268 --> 00:03:33,702.80245268 And when you think about 45,000 flights each and every day in the United States, or we can look up into the sky right now, and there's 5,000 aircraft above us, moving millions of people, two million people a day move through airlines. 29 00:03:34,22.80245268 --> 00:03:35,442.80245268 it's like the population of Chicago. 30 00:03:35,871.48378752 --> 00:04:01,201.48278752 it's a gigantic number, so why not use any and all available technology and resources and implement them into the cockpit? And whether that is resource management, crew management, or situational awareness, any and all available resources, in my opinion, and I hope it will become that of the majority of Congress, to prevent the tragedies like we saw at DCA, and to prevent those near misses. 31 00:04:01,201.48278752 --> 00:04:10,521.48378752 And, we can look at different runway incursions, and there's a lot that we can do with inside of the aviation sector, and a down payment of that was the $12.5 32 00:04:10,521.48378752 --> 00:04:12,661.48378752 billion towards air traffic control modernization. 33 00:04:12,661.48378752 --> 00:04:18,211.48378752 And one of the coolest things that I've got to do so far as a member was visit Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's control tower. 34 00:04:18,491.48378752 --> 00:04:18,521.48378752 Okay. 35 00:04:18,891.48278752 --> 00:04:25,261.48378752 Visited the TRACON, I visited the tower, and it was like almost reading, like meeting a radio personality in person because it was like the first time. 36 00:04:25,401.48278752 --> 00:04:29,11.48378752 these are people that I speak to- frequently, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, you're the ground. 37 00:04:29,21.48378752 --> 00:04:29,681.48378752 You're on ground." 38 00:04:29,681.48378752 --> 00:04:31,381.48378752 and that was, really cool and humbling. 39 00:04:31,841.48378752 --> 00:04:42,121.48278752 but when you look at the costs that are affiliated with infrastructure, and that's what, my company does and did was, infrastructure, transportation infrastructure. 40 00:04:42,121.48278752 --> 00:04:44,171.48278752 It was, intelligent transportation systems. 41 00:04:44,171.48278752 --> 00:04:46,751.48278752 It was runway PAPI, PAPI lighting systems. 42 00:04:46,981.48278752 --> 00:04:47,441.48278752 these are... 43 00:04:47,441.48278752 --> 00:04:49,541.48278752 We were working in and around airports frequently. 44 00:04:49,781.48278752 --> 00:04:54,61.48278752 There's a significant cost affiliated, but we're in 2026. 45 00:04:54,161.48378752 --> 00:04:59,201.48478752 we have to be able to be living in the reality of 2026. 46 00:04:59,421.48478752 --> 00:05:00,511.48478752 We can't be operating out of the 1970s. 47 00:05:02,295.48478752 --> 00:05:03,165.48478752 Yeah, for sure. 48 00:05:03,165.48478752 --> 00:05:08,25.48478752 And, I'm proud to say you're a member of the Aviation Safety Caucus and, which launched just last year. 49 00:05:08,675.48378752 --> 00:05:12,95.48378752 obviously you've covered some of this as to why s- aviation safety is a priority for you. 50 00:05:12,95.48378752 --> 00:05:23,669.48178752 But are, what are some ways that caucus is working together to, improve it? to improve it? I don't necessarily think that it needs to be, and that's what's great about the caucuses, is, you kinda leave your party affiliation at the door. 51 00:05:23,709.48178752 --> 00:05:36,449.48178752 And you go in with an open mind, and you say, "Hey, how do we move the ball forward?" And one of the biggest frustrations of Congress is how slow everything moves down here. 52 00:05:36,889.48178752 --> 00:05:45,519.48178752 the old Schoolhouse Rock! song, "Bill on Capitol Hill" is a painful reality of how slow things happen. 53 00:05:45,529.48178752 --> 00:05:58,789.48278752 And it's, I'll be honest, it's been a big frustration for me personally, to go from an executive in my last life to now as a legislator, but you need to be able to get to that 218-vote threshold inside of the House and 60 votes inside of the Senate. 54 00:05:59,149.48178752 --> 00:06:00,219.48178752 And it truly... 55 00:06:00,239.48178752 --> 00:06:04,479.48178752 And that's the way that our Founding Fathers intended this process to work. 56

00:06:04,759.48178752 --> 00:06:18,119.48178752 I'm not sure that they intended for us to move like glaciers, but the American people deserve, and our pilots and the entire aviation industry deserve results out of Congress and out of Washington. 57 00:06:18,569.48178752 --> 00:06:30,59.48178752 And when nothing happens, and you saw how close the ROTOR Act came to passing in the House after it passed inside of the Senate, and then the ALERT Act was able to successfully get through the floor, but now the Senate won't take that up. 58 00:06:31,149.48178752 --> 00:06:33,569.48178752 Collateral damage should not be Americans. 59 00:06:33,589.48078752 --> 00:06:35,559.48178752 It should not be, it should not be our pilots. 60 00:06:35,559.48178752 --> 00:06:36,829.48178752 It should not be our passengers. 61 00:06:36,829.48178752 --> 00:06:38,59.48178752 It should not be our airports. 62 00:06:38,379.48178752 --> 00:06:43,999.48178752 so that is a responsibility that, that we need to take seriously, and part of the caucus is exactly that. 63 00:06:44,859.48178752 --> 00:06:52,899.48278752 everybody has different ideological backgrounds of where they come from or how they approach a different challenge or a problem and you say, "Okay." 64 00:06:53,469.48278752 --> 00:07:19,269.48178752 You take the 10% of the far right, you say take 10% of the far left, how do we get that remaining 80% and get that across the finish line and come up with meaningful legislation that stands the reality of becoming a law? and that's what we do inside of our caucuses, is have very frank, off-the-record conversations about very imperative pieces of legislation, specifically relating to aviation safety. 65 00:07:19,269.48178752 --> 00:07:30,852.81612085 And the ROTOR Act and the ALERT Act were two big, important pieces of the pie here and I think that's how we were able to get it through the ALERT Act on the floor, and if you looked at the actual vote totals of the ROTOR Act. 66 00:07:31,532.81612085 --> 00:07:32,822.81612085 Congress also has... 67 00:07:33,252.81512085 --> 00:07:39,352.81612085 Y- you get distracted very easily about where you're supposed, what lane you're gonna be in. 68 00:07:39,542.81612085 --> 00:07:43,199.73883272 I serve on Transportation Infrastructure, I serve on Agriculture, and I serve on Small Business. 69 00:07:43,479.73883272 --> 00:07:47,849.73883272 any day of the week, I can have three different committee hearings, and sometimes they're all at the same time. 70 00:07:48,179.73883272 --> 00:07:58,633.73983272 and top of meeting with our pilots and meeting with our sugar beet farmers and meeting with our small business coalitions we are being stretched and pulled into so many different directions. 71 00:07:58,673.73983272 --> 00:08:10,117.73983272 So when you're on the Aviation Safety Caucus that's a time that you're talking about these issues, and you have dedicated bandwidth to really lift up the hood and go into the details that's great. 72 00:08:10,117.73983272 --> 00:08:14,267.73983272 Sounds kinda like how government's supposed to work- Perfect where everybody rolls up their sleeves and knocks it out. 73 00:08:14,589.02121134 --> 00:08:21,470.66954279 You mentioned the ALERT Act a couple times, and obviously, that's the House's response to the fifty-three forty-two, tragedy last January. 74 00:08:22,20.66954279 --> 00:08:30,176.87266779 can you tell our listeners about that bill and what your role was in, in shaping It the worst thing that I had mentioned earlier that Congress could do was nothing. 75 00:08:30,684.16433446 --> 00:08:42,47.49766779 And there was some apprehension about some of the language relevant to the ROTOR Act, by some of the colleagues, by the Department of War, and some of the various different implications. 76 00:08:42,317.49766779 --> 00:08:56,797.49766779 we had brought forward an amendment with a Democrat colleague on how can we mandate ADS-B in, which was one of the biggest points inside of the ROTOR Act that we were all rooting for to get across the finish line. 77 00:08:56,797.49766779 --> 00:08:59,267.49766779 It was something I voted for the ROTOR Act, and I voted for the ALERT Act. 78 00:08:59,807.49666779 --> 00:09:34,627.49666779 and, we talked about, even when we were just talking to the membership, some of the apprehension relevant to the ADS-B in, could they be used for data collection? Could those landing fees be then pulled back to the pilot? And, a safety device should not be utilized for a revenue collection for, And I think funding our rural and, more necessary airports and funding those areas need to be an- another responsibility of Congress, which ironically, later this week, we will be having a meeting in aviation subcommittee relevant to rural airport funding. 79 00:09:35,107.49666779 --> 00:09:43,417.49666779 But it shouldn't be on the backs of the pilots, and it shouldn't be on the backs of what is a responsibility of the government. 80 00:09:43,777.49766779 --> 00:09:46,107.49866779 and I look at it at the same way as bridges. 81 00:09:46,637.49766779 --> 00:09:51,127.49866779 does not matter if you make a dollar a year or a trillion dollars a year, you still need to go across that bridge. 82 00:09:51,617.81539925 --> 00:09:56,247.81539925 The bridge does not ask you if you are a Republican or if you are a Democrat before you go across that bridge. 83 00:09:56,587.81539925 --> 00:10:06,577.81439925 so inside of the ALERT Act, and that was a position of Chairwoman Homendy that there should absolutely be, under no circumstances, revenue collection from a safety device. 84 00:10:06,807.81539925 --> 00:10:08,7.81539925 she had said that on the record. 85 00:10:08,7.81539925 --> 00:10:13,557.81539925 She had said that in our hearings, and that was some of the apprehension of some of my colleagues. 86 00:10:13,837.81539925 --> 00:10:19,77.81539925 another apprehension was some of the rural parts of the

United States, and I represent northeastern Pennsylvania. 87 00:10:19,87.81539925 --> 00:10:21,267.81639925 I don't represent rural Missouri. 88 00:10:21,267.81639925 --> 00:10:22,747.81639925 I don't represent rural Kansas. 89 00:10:22,747.81639925 --> 00:10:29,67.81639925 I represent northeastern Pennsylvania, which is 105 miles away from Philadelphia and 107 miles away from New York City. 90 00:10:29,437.81639925 --> 00:10:39,387.81539925 So I look at it as we are a major thoroughfare for all sorts of traffic, and we're 65 miles north of Allentown, which is a significant cargo hub. 91 00:10:39,827.81639925 --> 00:10:47,727.81639925 but you still need to think about the idea of the ADS-B as a mandatory device. 92 00:10:48,67.81639925 --> 00:10:54,42.79260652 and the ALERT Act actually addressed all recommendations by the NTSB, where the ROTOR Act touched on some. 93 00:10:54,452.79360652 --> 00:11:03,472.79360652 And should we have had been successful in incorporating that amendment, I feel that was something that the families of the tragedy were also strong advocates for. 94 00:11:03,812.79360652 --> 00:11:13,960.79360652 But when you think about rural Missouri, there's crop dusting operations and the cost affiliated with going into the cockpit of an aircraft and retrofitting that e- that equipment. 95 00:11:14,240.79360652 --> 00:11:20,440.79360652 So that's why there was a 12,500 pound carve-out relevant to being able to use Sentries or portable ADS-B. 96 00:11:20,710.79360652 --> 00:11:29,490.79460652 and I think when you start to talk to different members, we could sometimes as pilots start talking in acronyms and gibberish- Yeah and getting, losing sight of the forest for the trees. 97 00:11:30,310.79460652 --> 00:11:45,780.79460652 Rob Ader, who was a pilot himself, he had actually brought, a Sentry over to the House floor to show, the actual size of what this $200 or $300 device is, and if you buy it at the right time, it can be 99 bucks, with a minimal subscription fee. 98 00:11:45,780.79460652 --> 00:11:54,190.79460652 So being able to meet the threshold of the ADS-B conversation really does have a lower threshold and lower bar. 99 00:11:54,410.79460652 --> 00:12:07,310.79560652 relevant to policies around some of our busier airspace, that was also included inside of ALERT Act, and, we saw the route chart, be modified and non-essential traffic for helicopters in and around the DCA airspace. 100 00:12:08,20.79560652 --> 00:12:09,490.79560652 I did a lot of flight time in Houston. 101 00:12:09,530.79560652 --> 00:12:13,430.79560652 following route charts was something you did as a pilot. 102 00:12:14,36.15124196 --> 00:12:16,126.15024196 if the ceiling was 200, the ceiling was 200. 103 00:12:16,136.15024196 --> 00:12:17,376.15124196 It wasn't 275. 104 00:12:17,716.15124196 --> 00:12:26,716.15124196 So I think when you think about the specificity of what happened at DCA, it was a culmination of errors that you never had

the error chain broken. 105 00:12:26,806.15124196 --> 00:12:38,56.15224196 and I think it was just a terrible, horrific tragedy, but now Congress is in a place to, to correct that and to ratify some of these failures and make it permanent. 106 00:12:38,672.15124196 --> 00:12:54,292.15224196 I think some of the angst around the fees part of it was somewhat misplaced because the ADS-B in mandate basically said from ROTOR, if I'm not mistaken, that ADS-B in will be required where ADS-B out is already required, and that is it. 107 00:12:54,712.15224196 --> 00:13:10,844.06595272 So that means ADS-B out is already there in those places So I'm not sure how the whole let's convoluted with the fees and rural Missouri and all that got wrapped into it, but I think there was fear of mission creep at some point in the in the future, right? you have your mode, you have your VALS already established. 108 00:13:10,854.06595272 --> 00:13:16,594.06495272 So I mean, that is where the language would just be literally changing out and to include in. 109 00:13:16,934.06495272 --> 00:13:16,964.06495272 Right. 110 00:13:16,984.06595272 --> 00:13:22,504.06495272 Um, which at this point is a significantly low threshold to obtain. 111 00:13:22,794.06495272 --> 00:13:23,194.06495272 I'm not... 112 00:13:23,204.06495272 --> 00:13:35,727.39911939 I don't know, perhaps that's been a historical failure of Congress, where we do or legislate something intending to fix A, and it slowly becomes B, C, and D. 113 00:13:35,727.39911939 --> 00:13:44,214.06595272 But still, this was a tangible win that we could have delivered, and we were very close to doing that, even through ROTOR on the House side. 114 00:13:45,69.39828606 --> 00:14:16,571.39728606 with all that, how do you feel going into conference now that the, staffs are talking about it and it's in the conference process? any insight on how you think that process is gonna go? Do you think we'll be able to get the Rotor ADSB-In language into the overall package? I'm a perpetual optimist, because when your membership reaches the Hill and talks with members of Congress and talks about how that tragedy out of DCA could have been any of us, it could have been any of our families, it could have been any of our constituents, it could have been... 115 00:14:16,811.39728606 --> 00:14:18,861.39628606 And that situation could happen anywhere. 116 00:14:19,181.39728606 --> 00:14:21,461.39728606 so there is certainly an appetite. 117 00:14:22,11.39728606 --> 00:14:27,351.39828606 What I don't wanna see is the momentum that we've made over the last year be lost. 118 00:14:28,129.34031351 --> 00:14:33,559.34031351 I am cautiously optimistic, and there, I think Chairwoman Hamady does an incredible job. 119 00:14:33,559.34031351 --> 00:14:35,929.33931351 She's meeting in individual member offices. 120 00:14:36,249.34031351 --> 00:14:37,779.34031351 I told her, "Listen, we're, we're here. 121 00:14:37,942.67364685 --> 00:14:41,922.67364685 Go allocate your bandwidth in an office that may be on the fence on this." 122 00:14:42,252.67364685 --> 00:14:47,192.67364685 and I'd be happy to be part of that conference committee to bring real-life pragmatic experience. 123 00:14:47,552.67364685 --> 00:14:51,752.67364685 but there's certainly, there's a my way or the highway approach sometimes. 124 00:14:51,802.67364685 --> 00:14:59,412.67364685 and what we need is the Senate as well as House to come together and actually get something done. 125 00:15:00,260.00628003 --> 00:15:10,20.00628003 in a long-winded way, I still am optimistic that there will be some kind of conferee process that brings this to a head. 126 00:15:10,250.00628003 --> 00:15:18,140.00728003 I never forecast the outcome or project the outcome of a specific vote, but we have seen it and will see it on the farm bill. 127 00:15:18,150.00728003 --> 00:15:21,880.00728003 We will see it most likely on surface reauthorization. 128 00:15:21,890.00728003 --> 00:15:23,500.00728003 We're in the process of passing that. 129 00:15:23,510.00728003 --> 00:15:26,90.00628003 We just passed that through the committee, two weeks ago now. 130 00:15:26,590.00728003 --> 00:15:36,510.00728003 we will be most likely bringing that to the floor vote, and the Senate will most likely do what the Senate does and perhaps modify it. 131 00:15:36,520.00728003 --> 00:15:41,250.00628003 So hopefully they put a gentle touch on that final language of the legislation. 132 00:15:41,670.00728003 --> 00:15:45,850.00828003 But most likely I could see that end up being at a conference process as well. 133 00:15:46,330.00828003 --> 00:15:51,820.00828003 But what we don't wanna see is a logjam become too large over there that we're already in... 134 00:15:51,860.00828003 --> 00:15:53,70.00828003 it's already June. 135 00:15:53,120.00828003 --> 00:15:54,670.00828003 we are gone in August. 136 00:15:54,710.00828003 --> 00:15:56,980.00828003 We are back in our districts in August and October. 137 00:15:57,230.00828003 --> 00:16:03,610.00728003 So there's a limited amount of floor time that we actually have for the remainder of the 119th Congress. 138 00:16:03,880.00928003 --> 00:16:14,870.01028003 I'd hope that this will be a priority, after November when we do return after our-- the elections take place, that there's plenty of days in November and there's plenty of days in December. 139 00:16:15,140.01028003 --> 00:16:21,710.01028003 and hopefully this could be something that's included in an end-of-year package if it's not a standalone solution. 140 00:16:22,270.01028003 --> 00:16:24,910.01028003 So it doesn't seem like it should be that difficult. 141 00:16:24,970.00928003 --> 00:16:30,467.06318521 We've got two good pieces of legislation both sides can take a victory lap. 142 00:16:30,467.06318521 --> 00:16:31,497.06318521 It's not one or the other. 143 00:16:31,507.06318521 --> 00:16:39,837.06218521 Let's take both, get

the best of both, get it out there, and then everybody takes a victory lap because we both brought something to the table. 144 00:16:39,927.06318521 --> 00:16:40,657.0621852 but I get it. 145 00:16:40,667.0621852 --> 00:16:42,194.2140079 This is Washington, to the table. 146 00:16:42,194.2140079 --> 00:16:42,360.3678541 but I get it. 147 00:16:42,360.3678541 --> 00:16:43,493.1370848 This is Washington, right? From your mouth to God's God's ears. 148 00:16:43,503.1370848 --> 00:16:44,193.1370848 Yeah, right. 149 00:16:44,291.1370848 --> 00:16:58,381.1370848 so, and sometimes we overcomplicate things by coupling on this or this priority onto that, and we see so many good pieces of legislation collapse under their own weight. 150 00:16:58,761.1370848 --> 00:17:02,171.1370848 we had passed a bill through the House simplifying veterans' survivorship benefit forms. 151 00:17:02,171.1370848 --> 00:17:10,601.1360848 It was to consolidate, the spouse's requirement that they would need to go through after a veteran in their family passes away, from 18 pages to three. 152 00:17:10,611.1360848 --> 00:17:19,171.1360848 It passed 386 votes to one, and this is another piece of legislation that is just a part of the log jam, on the other side of the, other side of the block. 153 00:17:19,943.1350848 --> 00:17:20,633.1350848 Interesting. 154 00:17:21,238.2099923 --> 00:17:22,98.2099923 all right, well, last thing. 155 00:17:22,478.2099923 --> 00:17:27,538.2109923 One of the major topics, obviously, other than this, alert and rotor, is ATC modernization. 156 00:17:27,538.2109923 --> 00:17:27,568.2109923 Yes. 157 00:17:28,8.2109923 --> 00:17:29,288.2109923 We all know it needs to be done. 158 00:17:30,318.2109923 --> 00:17:33,108.2109923 NextGen dragged on for almost 20 years. 159 00:17:33,478.2109923 --> 00:17:34,738.2109923 It's now past gen. 160 00:17:34,838.2099923 --> 00:17:37,468.2099923 It was always get a little bit of money, and then it wasn't enough. 161 00:17:37,488.2109923 --> 00:17:41,68.2109923 Ended up all that money was being used for fixing outdated stuff. 162 00:17:41,608.2109923 --> 00:17:44,684.877659 I was proud to stand with Secretary Duffy when he, unveiled the plan. 163 00:17:45,124.876659 --> 00:17:48,854.877659 As you said earlier, there was, they've allocated the first tranche of money for it. 164 00:17:48,904.877659 --> 00:17:50,244.877659 Progress is being made. 165 00:17:50,874.876659 --> 00:17:58,484.877659 where does the rest of the funding stand? Where are we in the process? what is the next steps? 'Cause as a fellow pilot, you obviously wanna see this get across the finish line as well. 166 00:17:58,484.877659 --> 00:17:59,94.877659 100%. 167 00:17:59,184.877659 --> 00:18:08,564.877659 And I think the 12 and a half billion provided with inside of HR 1 was a great down payment into the overall structure of what needs to be done. 168 00:18:09,134.877659 --> 00:18:20,644.877659 we were at the Safer Skies Summit, when we were doing the unveiling and giving some project updates, and the secretary has presented to our committee some of the various different improvements that have been made. 169 00:18:21,44.877659 --> 00:18:35,344.876659 but infrastructure's expensive, whether that's the permitting side, and, I look at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and there are radars for, could be 25, 30 miles away where some of that infrastructure needs to be physically upgraded. 170 00:18:35,634.875659 --> 00:18:36,894.876659 You need to build access roads. 171 00:18:36,894.876659 --> 00:18:38,894.876659 You need to be able to do that work from the sky. 172 00:18:38,904.876659 --> 00:18:39,334.876659 You... 173 00:18:39,344.875659 --> 00:18:42,624.876659 It takes a D all the above approach to be able to make that. 174 00:18:42,634.876659 --> 00:18:43,474.876659 And you think about $12.5 175 00:18:43,474.876659 --> 00:18:54,874.875659 billion, sure, it's a lot of money, don't get me wrong, but there is a highway project in my district that's a billion dollars, and that's for three and a half miles of Interstate 80. 176 00:18:55,174.875659 --> 00:19:02,384.876659 So just the cost, the present value of a dollar relevant to construction- Yeah it's expensive. 177 00:19:02,384.876659 --> 00:19:12,94.876659 And going from old coaxial and actual copper wiring into fiber optic, the actual hardware itself requires upgrades. 178 00:19:12,394.877659 --> 00:19:19,404.877659 And I think the administration is doing a great job identifying where there are the weakest points inside of the process. 179 00:19:19,814.877659 --> 00:19:33,484.877659 but I think it's already been alluded to that there will be another significant request, from the department to provide the necessary resources to complete this integration and upgrade. 180 00:19:33,894.877659 --> 00:19:39,744.877659 and I don't think I personally am not adverse to the idea because I think it is a responsibility of government. 181 00:19:40,284.877659 --> 00:19:54,101.5453256 last year I'd had the opportunity to go, go to the Paris Air Show, where then we visited Spain after, and we met with different, integrators that do this technology, and how Europe handles their airspace is vastly different than the way that the United States... 182 00:19:54,381.5453256 --> 00:19:56,311.5453256 they do it through a public-private partnership. 183 00:19:56,851.5453256 --> 00:19:58,711.5453256 their centers are co-owned. 184 00:19:58,721.5453256 --> 00:20:00,791.5453256 Their towers are independent contractors. 185 00:20:00,791.5453256 --> 00:20:01,51.5453256 It's... 186 00:20:01,401.5453256 --> 00:20:03,111.5453256 the United States airspace is second to none. 187 00:20:03,111.5453256 --> 00:20:04,901.5453256 It's the best in the world, and we need to maintain that. 188 00:20:04,901.5453256 --> 00:20:05,751.5463256 it's non-negotiable. 189 00:20:06,411.5463256 --> 00:20:07,331.5453256 but when you think about... 190

00:20:07,711.5453256 --> 00:20:26,861.5453256 And I got to see what a TRACON looked like firsthand, and I saw the old, written-out physical flight strips and the old, Raytheon technology boxes and, and then you look at some places, even in the Middle East where they have digital overlays on side of their windows and, we have to have a functioning system. 191 00:20:26,921.5453256 --> 00:20:34,371.5443256 we saw the shutdowns inside of Newark when, the actual TRACON was out of Philadelphia, because of different, copper outages. 192 00:20:34,381.5443256 --> 00:20:59,321.5453256 So there's absolutely no place for that in modern aviation, and Congress absolutely has a responsibility to invest into our air traffic control systems, as, as well as train the next generation of controller, and provide adequate family-sustaining careers for these controllers, identifying them with inside of the high school ecosystem, and making sure that there is a pipeline, for future controllers with inside of the United States. 193 00:21:00,523.5453256 --> 00:21:00,599.5453256 of the United States Yeah. 194 00:21:00,599.5453256 --> 00:21:08,423.5453256 Look, I know there's some concern about giving a big pot of money and it not being properly spent or whatever, but that's oversight, right? Congressional oversight. 195 00:21:09,183.5453256 --> 00:21:17,315.3745085 Have them come in every quarter and report on what's going on and what they're doing in the next quarter and, not let this die, right? Because if something... 196 00:21:17,435.3745085 --> 00:21:26,445.3755085 Something's always gonna be the new shiny thing, and we don't wanna let ATC modernization somehow get forgotten about or not be a front, front row thing. 197 00:21:26,445.3755085 --> 00:21:37,385.3735085 But I have a feeling that right now we still have enough momentum to keep this moving, and with, leaders like you in the Congress, that I'm confident we'll be able to keep that momentum with the Modern Skies Coalition and everything else. 198 00:21:37,986.164061 --> 00:21:38,38.4204799 and everything. 199 00:21:38,38.4204799 --> 00:21:44,8.4204799 The consequences are literally tragic- Yeah by not seeing this through to completion. 200 00:21:45,538.4204799 --> 00:21:45,668.4194799 this through to completion. 201 00:21:45,668.4194799 --> 00:21:45,678.4194799 Yeah. 202 00:21:45,678.4194799 --> 00:21:49,718.4204799 We're still always gonna make sure it's safe as pilots, and I know our brothers and sisters in air traffic control are gonna make sure it's safe. 203 00:21:50,88.4204799 --> 00:21:55,678.4204799 But to keep it safe, we're gonna end up having to, meter traffic and reduce frequencies a- and all that. 204 00:21:55,678.4204799 --> 00:21:57,978.4194799 And, the airlines don't want it, the traveling public doesn't want it. 205 00:21:58,318.4204799 --> 00:21:59,318.4194799 So yeah, you're right. 206 00:21:59,318.4204799 --> 00:22:00,568.4194799 This is something that has to be done. 207 00:22:00,918.4204799 --> 00:22:01,528.4204799 Without a doubt. 208 00:22:02,308.4204799 --> 00:22:02,508.4204799 Without a doubt. 209 00:22:02,508.4204799 --> 00:22:13,641.7528132 Well, look, thank you again very much for coming to speak with our members here at the Legislative Summit and thank you for taking the time to, join me, and most importantly, thank you for all you do to make aviation safer. 210 00:22:14,101.7538132 --> 00:22:14,333.0038132 to make aviation safer. 211 00:22:14,333.0038132 --> 00:22:25,728.0048132 I wanna say thank you to you, to the membership, and all that you do on behalf of the American people, also in advocating on, in Washington on Capitol Hill for the betterment of all of us. 212 00:22:26,260.0048132 --> 00:22:26,450.0048132 all right. 213 00:22:26,450.0048132 --> 00:22:29,912.0048132 Thank you, sir Thank you, Thanks for tuning in. 214 00:22:30,132.0048132 --> 00:22:33,762.0048132 If you haven't already, make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss any episodes. 215 00:22:34,122.0048132 --> 00:22:37,272.0048132 And if you enjoyed this episode, let your fellow crew members know about the show. 216 00:22:38,212.0048132 --> 00:22:42,832.0048132 If you have any questions or topics you'd like us to cover, reach out to podcast@alpa.org. 217 00:22:44,12.0048132 --> 00:22:49,712.0038132 To listen and subscribe to The Airline Pilot Podcast or learn more about ALPA, check us out online at alpa.org 218 00:22:49,722.0048132 --> 00:22:52,82.0048132 or find us on all major podcast platforms. 219 00:22:52,982.0048132 --> 00:22:55,352.0038132 Until next time, this is The Airline Pilot Podcast. 220 00:22:55,982.0048132 --> 00:22:58,212.0048132 Production copyright ALPA 2026. 221 00:22:58,212.0048132 --> 00:22:59,212.0048132 All rights reserved. 222 00:22:59,402.0048132 --> 00:23:00,572.0038132 Thanks and have a safe flight