Sen. Cruz: We Have a Historic Opportunity to Modernize Our Nation's Air Traffic Control System and Increase our Global Competitiveness
Attends White House announcement regarding the modernization of American aviation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today attended the White House announcement of the new Air Traffic Control (ATC) system reform and modernization initiative.
"I am grateful this administration has been eager and willing to reduce the burden of federal regulations and mismanaged bureaucracy on a variety of America's core industries," Sen. Cruz said. "The aerospace and aviation industry directly provides over 130,000 Texans with good paying jobs. Over the last 30 years, more than 60 countries have successfully moved ATC services to independent entities. It's time that we stop leading from behind and allow American innovation in our nation's aviation sector to spur economic activity, increase safety, lower costs, and enable more travel options for consumers. I look forward to working with the Administration, and my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to advance the safety and efficiency of the ATC."
The White House is proposing a new, non-government management entity to secure financing and plan for long-term innovative technologies which will directly address capacity issues of the current ATC system and provide better communications for pilots and controllers. With millions of Texans who travel by plane, this modernization is essential to improving quality of travel and providing more affordable and better travel options.
Modernization will bring about an independent, not-for-profit corporation to operate and modernize air traffic control services while ensuring these services are provided in rural and remote communities. Moving air traffic control functions into a federally chartered, not-for-profit, self-funding organization will protect it from the uncertainty of future political battles.
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