Statement By Senator John McCain on FAA Flexibility Bill and Continued Inaction on Defense Sequestration

Statement

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement regarding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flexibility bill and the continued inaction on defense sequestration. The Senate passed the Reducing Flight Delays Act by unanimous consent yesterday and the House of Representatives passed the same bill today.

"I support the action by Congress this week to provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the flexibility it needs to keep air traffic controllers on the job and flights on schedule," said Senator John McCain. "However, it is shameful for us to make allowances for the FAA while doing nothing to stop the draconian cuts that are decimating our military today and putting our nation's security in danger. Dealing with the impacts of sequestration on a case-by-case basis does nothing to fix the underlying issue and prolongs this damaging policy. While Congress gives flexibility to the FAA, our military aircraft don't fly and our ships don't sail. Just this week, the Chief of Staff of the Army stated that the draconian spending cuts will force the Army to cut an additional 100,000 troops while compromising 'our ability to respond' to national security challenges around the world, including on the Korean Peninsula. We must act to protect America's security and fulfill our responsibilities to the men and women of our armed forces."

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