Troubling Situation in Newark

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, many across our Nation are outraged at the $400 million luxury airplane, the palace in the sky, that President Trump just accepted from the Nation of Qatar. That is against the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. He took the bribe in plain sight.

Meanwhile, our Nation is very short on air controllers who are trained. Look at Newark, New Jersey. They have had radar failures and repeated flight delays due to serious staffing shortages. This is true across our country, but what did the Secretary of Transportation, Mr. Duffy, say? He said: What you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country. My reply: Excuses aren't an answer.

Going forward, what do we need to do? As of May 1, we are 3,000 air controllers short in this country. The workforce is aging. They are stretched thin and understaffed, exacerbated by DOGE buyouts and firings. The FAA just simply doesn't have the people, and it is going to get worse as people travel this summer.

While Newark grabs headlines, the pain is felt across America. Mr. Speaker, let President Trump sell the plane, $400 million, and put that money into training more air controllers for their safety and for the safety of this Nation.

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