the f.a.a. as a result of representing a very rural state. kansas is made up of a number of larger communities, but small cities and towns dot our state, and those local airports and the ability to connect with those communities as a result of general aviation, the ability to fly to visit somebody but -p perhaps more importantly the ability for a business to be in a community, a small rural community exists in part because of those general aviation airports and those planes and pilots. and so in communities across our state, we're able to have manufacturing and service industries that probably otherwise, in the absence of an airport, aviation would have to be located in larger cities in kansas or elsewhere. so g.a. and f.a.a. reauthorization is important to every kansan regardless of whether they are a factory line worker in wichita or central, south kansas or whether they are a hospital or manufacturing business or a service located in a small community in our state. so i'm pleased that the sena

president, from the f.a.a. reauthorization provisions to the tax and funding title, it is the right approach to addressing those particular needs and we need to get it done. therefore, i urge my colleagues to support senator thune's managers amendment as well as the overall f.a.a. bill. now, mr. president, i would like to talk for a minutes on s. 438, the ensuring that patient access and effective drug enforcement act. the senate unanimously passed this crucial legislation last month and just yesterday the house passed the bill as well. the bill now goes to president obama for signature. i'd like to begin by thanking senator whitehouse for his important work on this legislation. he and his staff have been crucial partners in helping to move it forward. i'm also grateful for the support of our other cosponsor, senators rubio, vitter, and cassidy. srs. 433 is an important bill ad clarifies several key provisions of the controlled substances act in ways that will strengthen efforts to fight prescription drug abuse

here is what senator john thune, who led the f.a.a. debate in the senate, had to say this past week. >> ensuring dangerous criminals don't work behind the scenes at airports is one important thing we can do to reduce the threats. tightening the vetting process for airport employees is especially critical as many experts believe the recent bombing of russian passenger jet leaving egypt had help. our bill also includes security provisions to better safeguard public areas outside the security checkpointings and to help reduce passengers back ups. these could help prevent future attacks like the one in brussels last month which targeted a crowd of passengers in an area where they didn't even need tickets. while many address procks, none were cobbled together in a rush to do something. all of the security propoflse added to the bill were added for months. oversight, independent evaluation and the study of existing problems. but recent attacks by isis did create is new urgency to enact these security safe zpwaurds as the threat of terrorism r

there are also provisions to help the f.a.a. and the industry maintain leadership on safety at a time when the aviation market is becoming increasingly global and competitive. senator murkowski and i have similar and competing interests here. in arkansas people fly smaller airplanes to get places. in minnesota we do the same thirntion but we also -- simple thing, but we also share an interest in shaft of small planes and also in expediting these safety regulations being approved. itle been taking a while with the f.a.a. so we're really glad this bill before us, the f.a.a. reauthorization, actually includes a deadline so that this can get done. mr. president, last week i spoke about the security elements of this bill. i am a cosponsor of the amendments that we passed to strengthen airport security, improving security in nonsecure areas of the airport like the check-in and baggage claim and also tightening airline employees' access to secure areas of our airport are important securityadvancements and show how we can make bipartisan

so that means the f.a.a. must bear four times the costs of training new instructors, and i'm glad that this bill will remove the government regulations that discourage full-time instructors, and i thank my colleagues for working with me to address this problem. then another one, this is very significant. this is the volunteer pilot and -- the pilot organization protection. last week, i offered an amendment for consideration that supports volunteer pilots. this is a good samaritan law for pilots. across the country there are a lot of volunteer pilots. i have done this myself. i have been an active commercial pilot now for 60 years. i can remember several times one of us going down to an island that was wiped out by a hurricane just north of occur -- curacoas, venezuela. i took with me medical supplies, food, all of that. during that time if something would happen and someone would have a -- even though he was a good samaritan, he was doing it at his own expense, he could be sued for any number of exposures that

by the way, you have to do that on the f.a.a. bill. you have to. because that has to do with airports where most of the entry-exits are happening. this issue is drafted to this bill because this bill has a piece of it that deals with the tax code and the finance. a moment ago the chairman said we had -- he did. they had an open amendment process on the f.a.a. bill. but there's a finance component to this bill that was not offered till it got here. and that's what my amendment is drafted so i couldn't have offered this in a committee. but i just think, you know, people come to washington. they watch this process. they hear me explain this thing. they're wondering there has to be a catch, right? what is the other side of the argument this there is no other side to the argument. there is none. there is none. why should -- why should you, the people watching, the people here, why should anybody, why should the american taxpayer be giving money to people to build houses in another country that don't live here? and that's what's happening right underneath

i, too, want to add that i hope that with the f.a.a. reauthorization on the floor that we will get the airport security enhancement and oversight act, perhaps, added to that, because i think it makes a lot of sense to do that in light of some of the concerns that we have in this committee and the broad support on this committee for that bill. but i wanted to follow up on this issue as well on the angle of, we know that one of the things that came to light that was of deep concern as we thought about the work force is there were 73 individuals the inspector general had identified with reported some ties to terrorism or issues of concern and as a result of that, we learned that, in fact, t.s.a. was not getting access to the real time information from the terrorist identity data -- or data to help inform your vetting of these employees that were having access to the airport. and so i wanted to get an update on where we are in terms of you getting access to the information that you need not only as senator nelson has identified the materials

the f.a.a. reauthorization includes the most comprehensive set of aviation security reforms since president obama first took office. to prevent airport insiders from helping terrorists, we've included measures to improve scrutiny of individuals applying to work in secure airport areas. this is especially critical as many experts believe the bombing of a russian passenger jet leaving egypt had help from an aviation insider. we've also included provisions to better safeguard public areas outside security in airports and to help reduce passenger backups. these reforms could help prevent a future attack like the one on the brussels terminal last month which targeted a crowd of passengers in an area where the attackers didn't even need tickets. because staying ahead of threats needs to be a priority. we also included additional cyber security provisions and added antiterrorism security features for new aircraft. the security reforms in this legislation were actually developed months ago as follow-ups

president, the f.a.a. reauthorization contains many measures that will protect americans, improve our economy and protect our environment. i urge all my fellow senators to support the bill and these amendments. thank you, mr. president. and i yield back. mr. president, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that -- are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. mcconnell: i ask take further proceeding be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that monday, april 1 1-rbgs at 5:00 p.m. the senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 215, that there be 30 minutes for debate only on the nomination equally divided in the usual form, that upon the use of yielding back of time, the senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate. that if confirmed

that's what the f.a.a. bill before us will do. here's what it won't do: it won't raise taxes or fees on airline passengers or enact heavyhanded regulations that would diminish choices or services for travelers. i appreciate the diligent work of chairman thune and senator ayotte, the chair of the committee's aviation panel, as well as that of democratic counterpart senator nelson and cantwell. the f.a.a. reauthorization act has been a bipartisan effort from the very start. let's keep working together in the same spirit today. i would urge colleagues to work with the bill managers to process amendments if they have them. now, on another matter, mr. president, president obama will fly to chicago where he will try and convince americans that despite his own actions while in the senate to deny a supreme court nominee a vote, the constitution somehow now -- now -- requires the senate to have a vote on his nominee no matter what and thereby deny the american people a voice in the future of the supreme court. in the words of "washington po

this bill requires that the f.a.a. develop standards on how aircraft manufacturers can keep flight control systems separate from in-flight passenger entertainment systems. remember what we've seen on "60 minutes" about the takeover and control of a car by someone going on the internet and hacking into the car's entertainment systems. so, madam president, the bottom line is this: it's a good bill. it's the result of hard-earned, collaborative effort. i want to thank senator thune and his staff for their really good work and their good will in our negotiations. and i also want to thank the members of our staff who worked endlessly to get us to this point. afterwards, after the vote, madam president, i'm going to read a list of their names because i want them to be recognized. and to our colleagues in the senate, i want to thank you for working with senator thune and me on the creation and development and up to this point and now the passage of the bill, and i suspect that the senate will respond overwhelmingly, and i cert

the f.a.a. reauthorization bill is the product of hard work and deliberations from members of both sides of the aisle. it wouldn't have been possible without the leadership of senator thune, our commerce committee chair, and senator ayotte, the aviation subcommittee chair. they worked to consider amendments from both republicans and democrats that members thought would make this a good bill and an even better one. i also want to thank the ranking member counterpart, senator nelson and senator cantwell for their efforts to advance this legislation. so let's continue that bipartisan progress today and move the f.a.a. reauthorization and airport security bill across the finish line. it's a win for passengers. it's a win for national security. it's another example of common sense legislating under a leadership that's getting the senate back to work. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senate minority leader. mr. reid: i really have to smile when i hear the republican leader -- he says

we know that the bipartisan f.a.a. reauthorization act will promote american manufacturing, preserve rural access in states like kentucky and advance new consumer protections for the flying public. we also know that it will help improve safety and security both in the skies and in our airports. here are a few ways this bipartisan bill can help. by allowing us to better prepare for the outbreak of communicable diseases like ebola. by improving the quality of f.a.a.'s safety work force. by encouraging the f.a.a. to harmonize international safety standards. by bringing the government and stakeholders together in the development of safety standards for unmanned aerial vehicles. and by taking aim at human trafficking. this legislation is the product of a lot of hard work and reaching across the aisle. i'd like to recognize senator thune for leading this effort. he knows what's possible in the senate that's back to work for the american people. he worked hard with the top democrat on his committee, senator nelson, to get us t

president, i'm proud that the f.a.a. bill before the senate today is the product of a bipartisan process. over at the commerce committee, we approved 57 amendments before this bill came to the floor. 60% of those amendments came from members of the minority. here on the senate floor we approved an additional 19 amendments. mr. president, in addition to helping passengers and enhancing security, this legislation addresses a number of other priorities, including the cybersecurity of aircraft, the aircraft design approval process, undue regulatory burdens on noncommercial pilots, airport infrastructure, rural air service, lithium battery safety, mental health screening for pilots, communicable disease preparedness, drone safety, and many other important areas. and without going through them in detail, the bill's provision for unmanned aerial systems are groundbreaking. 20 years from now when drones play significant roles in our economy and making the public safer, congress will look back at this bill as landmark legislation.

president, passing the f.a.a. eauthorization bill isn't the only legislative milestone we'll mark this week. today we'll pass, as "the new york times" put it, the first major energy bill to come to the senate floor since the bush administration. the passage of which, as the paper has also noted, would represent a significant step forward for the nation's energy policy. it has been nearly a decade since the senate last debated major energy legislation, and much has changed in that time. that's why senator murkowski, the energy committee chair, and senator cantwell, the ranking member, worked for the past year to move broad bipartisan energy legislation, the energy policy modernization act. like the f.a.a. reauthorization bill i mentioned earlier, this bill won't raise taxes on american families, but it can help them by making energy more affordable and more abundant. by building on technological advances and bolstering national security, by growing the economy and furthering innovation. in short, the bill before us

so down came the f.a.a. bill compromise. of course the big oil tax credits have been baked into the tax code and there's no contesting them that's allowed. so we now have a field in which renewable tax credits that were agreed to are not in place but big oil protects its own tax breaks as the fossil fuel industry attacks the renewallable tax breaks -- renewable tax breaks. look at fossil fuel influence has done to the business lobby groups. the chamber of commerce which is probably more accurately defined now as the chamber of carbon, the american petroleum institute, even the national association of manufacturers, the national federation of independent business, and the farm bureau, big oil and the koch brothers have locked them all down. it is a wall of opposition among those groups to any sensible conversation about carbon pollution. mr. president, i have spoken before about the well defended castle of denial constructed by the big polluters to attack and harass their opponents and to keep out the unwelcome truth of climat

the f.a.a. is now investigating, because says the aircraft were separated by 1.25 miles when delta 749 crossed the runway fowler's flight was using to take off. >> you know, i have four children. none of them have even going gunn to college yet. i can't afford to die, all right. i have to be here. i'm just glad that ultimately everybody was okay. >> reporter: more than 1200 so-called runway incursions occur every year. significant potential for collision. >> obviously, potentially, it's incredibly dangerous. >> reporter: scott brenner is a former f.a.a. associate administrator. how does something like this happen? >> you have a pilot error. the pilot didn't pay attention to the instruction. you have a controller error, gave bad instructions. you have a vehicle up on the there that shouldn't be out there, and a pedestrian that shouldn't be out there. >> the investigation into the worst collision in aviation history. >> reporter: the deadliest aviation accident on record came in 1977, when two 747s

president, the f.a.a. fully acknowledges the serious nature of this risk. in april of 2015, an f.a.a. advisory said the following -- quote -- "on long flights, as a matter of necessity, crew members must open the flight deck door to access lavatory facilities, to transfer meals to flight crew members, or to switch crew positions for crew rest purpos purposes. the opening and closing of the flight deck door, referred to as door transition, reduces the protective antiintrusion/antipenetration benefits of the reinforced door. during this door transition, the flight deck is vulnerable." of course, it's not only the f.a.a. that was able to figure this out. the terrorists understand this as well. the 9/11 commission report said this -- and i quote -- "khalid sheikh mohammed told them" -- and the "them" in this case referred to the terrorists he was instructing -- "khalid sheikh mohammed told them to watch the cabin doors at takeoff and landing to observe whether the captain went to the lavatory during the flight and to note whether the flight attendants brought fo

. >> despite the fight within five miles of the airport, the f.a.a. an average of 25 drone incidents every month and there is no reason to think that number will decline. >> abc news, washington. >> now on to the republican presidential race where 9 tiff delegates are -- where 95 delegates are up for grabs. donald trump campaigned in staten island. the republican front runner continued to fire away on the republican national committee calling the delegate selection process corrupt. >> we didn't play there. we didn't play in wyoming. the game was rigged. i don't want to go six or seven months before because that's what you have to do. take them on trips and go to hotel rooms. i don't want to play that game. i am winning with the voters. >> ted cruz picked up 14 delegates in wyoming over the weekend. >>> tonight a new way to crackdown on drivers who text behind the wheel. a device that lets police scan the driver's phone to see if they were texting moments before the accident. as eva explains it is already sparking controversy. >> it is a temptation for

however, the f.a.a. is doing a really good job by regulating the air sa for example don't operate near the airport or near buildings or populated areas. jonathan: perhaps you can give us an example of the mitigation you are talking about. what are you proposing? >> i'm not at liberty to discuss it now but it would be an opportunity for future designs to have this in mind when the design basically develop structures. right now, aircraft have the ability to mitigate foreign object impact. the way we see it the drones are a new kind of foreign objects. however they are more solid and compared to the birds that are soft matter. they, of course, need new strategy to be able to deal with them. jonathan: is there anything that can be done to reinforce the blades inside the engines in the aircraft to make so it they survive? michelle: certainly. it's a give and take. the heavier you make the structure, then the less payload the aircraft c we have to look into advance structures and see how we can modify the struc

. >> we have breaking news from philadelphia right now, the f.a.a. round stop at philadelphia international airport after a plane made an emergency landing. in was smoke in the cockpit. according to reports on social media, it looked like it is an american eagle plane with no word on the cause. no one was injured. right now planes not thatting off or landing -- not taking off or happening in philadelphia so heads up. we will monitor the story. >> dub nation you is another chance to get your happens on tickets to the when conference semifinals. warriors insiders can buy tickets starting this morning at 10:00 a.m. with seas on to the general public at 2:00 p.m., and we could know tonight who the dubs are laying in the next round. the trail place others are up one game against the clippers as they head into game six in los angeles. in the blazers win the warriors would play on sunday at oracle arena and that game would be at 12:30 right here on abc7. in the series goes to game seven the warriors have to wait until tuesday before they get another chance t

. >> you could be able to fly the drone you got over a crowd, the f.a.a. ng a proposal to east drone restrictions, currently they are banned from flying over crowds or populated areas. the rules have frustrated businesses and personal drone owners. if approved the proposal creates four categories of drones and allow some drones to fly unrestricted over people. >> a new effort to help the homeless in san jose could get at the love the folks off the street. >> bay year boy riding his way into the record we invited women to a spa to test a new body wash. dish soap. you may not feel it, but some body washes can contain cleansers found in dish soap. dove body wash is different. it has only the gentlest cleansers. it just made me feel good. this is dove. at hillshire farm, spice is the spice of life. that's why our craftsmen season every sausage perfectly. so you can coax out great flavor effortlessly. hillshire farm. because it's worth doing right. first - they limit where you earn bonus cash back.es at you? then - those places change every few months? i think i

including the state troopers the queen ann county sheriffs and investigators from the f.a.a. all on scene trying to figure out what happened. the bottom line here the two people on board confirm dead by the maryland state police. they have not been publicly identified. we'll stay here on the story. when we come back at 5:00 we'll hear what some of the people at the airport are saying. they believe they knew at least one person on board and they believe the aircraft was operating out of the bay bridge airport. we'll be back at 5:00 with that part of the story. in stephensville, brad bell, abc7 news. michelle: thank you. michelle: police are search, for a missing woman whose car was found in madison county. they are holding out hope they will find sign of nicole mittendorf who was last seen wednesday, we are live outside the fire station where mittendorf worked with the latest on the developing story. >> we heard an emotional news conference where milt mittendorf served since joining the fire department. they are urging the public to help with the search but voicing a direct mes

. >> despite warnings banning drone flights five miles of airports, the f.a.a.a average 25 drone incidents each month. >> amazon is paying a move to go head to head with netflix offering monthly subscriptions for steaming video at $8.9 9, a dollar less than netflix's most popular plan and offering the prime membership from $10.9 9 for the two day shipping and you can stop and start rather than paying the whole year. amazon prime members now get streaming with $99 a plan. >> a warning for uber and lyft drivers in san francisco. what you are required new to get before hitting the road. >> remembering the 1906 san francisco earthquake people are gathered now marking the 110th gathered now marking the 110th anniversary of >>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >>> remembering the 1906 san francisco earthquake with the memorial happening now to honor those who survived the disaster. >> dubs nation gearing up, and the question is, will steph curry take the court? >> another reason to put on sun scene, scientists have if you proof a certain type o

the f.a.a. is investigating this crash and it is good to know that no one was hurt including him. michelle: that is incredible. you see the scene and you assume the worst. jonathan: amanda peet has been a big name in hollywood for a long time. now she is opening up about aging. michelle: the pressure to look young, stay young and keep those roles coming in from hollywood. but it's what she says she won't be doing that is making headlines. amanda peet's motivation. what is behind this? alison: it's no surprise that in hollywood the pressure is there to stay young, to stay new, to stay relevant. amanda peet who starred in all kind of roles is taking a stand in her most important one. as a mother. >> i want you to feel my heart. alison: the hollywood bombshell known for blockbusters like "the whole nine yards." and playing the love interest in "saving silverman." >> hi. i'm wayne. >> no. alison: but today she is taking on tinseltown insistence on youth in all cost in the name of her daughters. the 44-year-old actress recently of "togetherness" on hbo firing off in an article for a new

the bill forward. this important f.a.a. thorization and airport security legislation was bipartisan from the start. it shows why returning to regular order is so important. it's another example of what can be achieved in this republican-led senate, a senate we put back to work for the american people. on another matter, since an agreement reached last night, the senate is now -- thanks to an agreement reached last night the senate is poised to pass broad bipartisan energy legislation too. we have an agreement to take the energy policy modernization act back up, consider even more amendments and then take a final vote on it. i was encouraged to see the democratic leader yesterday agreeing that this is important legislation. it will support more american jobs, more american growth and more american energy independence and will finish our work soon. passage of this little will represent the culmination of more than a year's worth of hard work, countless listening sessions, oversight hearings, numerous amendment votes and debate

and i'm not even sure what the f.a.a. would have to say about that. this is absolutely outrageous and it's just absurd that congress has to step in and act to rectify this misguided step by the t.s.a. but by passing this bill, we will. i recommend this bill to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. the gentleman from new jersey like to reserve? mr. payne: i'd like to reserve at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. hurd: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from kansas, mr. huelskamp. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. huelskamp: thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate my colleagues from texas and across the nation who, that i've discovered with this bill have similar problems. in my case it's the city of salina, kansas, only 100 miles from the closest hub and has long provided valuable air service to kansas city o

we brought in the manufacturers' teams, as well as even the f.a.a., and then local authorities to put together what we call the innovation task force to really do a white board on how you would re-create this screening environment, to reduce friction to the traveler, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of the system. so in its biggest sense, that's what the idea is, recognizing that there are incremental steps to getting there. but it gives us an opportunity to try some things and denver's been very forward-leaning in terms of their willingness to pilot some new ideas. >> thank you. what steps could congress take to assist with the implementation of the innovative task force initiative, both at d.i.a. and across the country? mr. neffenger: this committee will get a report on what we're doing, and that's part of the plan, outline the status. there may be some opportunity to create some authorities for public-private partnerships that we don't currently have, for the ability to do spiral test and new technology so you can feel the technology before you go through the long, drawn-ou

danger in e skies, the f.a.a. nd engaging in iminal activies before going into the cockpit happening more than y. check yourefrigerator, pilgm's pride, materials include wood andlasticic and rubb and metal were found in some of the company's oduct. stocks are plueting on the news. apple,n eaings story, the company reported wker than rert profit and revenue for the second quarter and the stock is trading down abou we're looking at apple andts iphone sales, the result weighing on thbroader market. and futures foththe broader avalanches tod. 've got a lot of earngs settg the ne awell as economic dat a gdp. we'll findt 2 p.m. eastern what the fed will do iterms of interesrates. no interest rate incree is expected. we're also watching oi above $45 a rrel this morning, we're tainwith boone ckens coming up in the program. 'll get his take later ts hour, but you haveo believe the stabilizion in oilil has rtainly helped the stock market in the last coue of weeks. oil now up 2% at about $45 barrel, right der it. tuing ck to

the senate rejected amendment to an f.a.a. bill, so it required that the agency said a minimum seat size for airlines also minimum distance between rose. new york senator chuck schumer, he at dollars the amendment, he said airlines had been cutting down leg room and seat winds, basically forced pass inning tears sit like sardines, one time good being short, but still a tight squeeze back there. jim, brooke? >> thank you, good morning. >> the 40th anniversary edition of the philadelphia gay news goes on sale today. >> founder mark segal unveiled the cover at special party last night. "eyewitness news" was at the pennsylvania academy of fine art where segal was joined by mayor jim kenney and former mayor, ed rendell. the award winning gay news is the nation's most honored lgbt pun case, jim and i were proud to join other members of the "eyewitness news" team at the unveiling, kind of one of those rare moment, where both the morning and night teams get to hang out together. >> exactly, great job by the philadelphia daily news and

the hill newspaper reporting on the f.a.a. debate. senate leaders ultimately decided to drop renewable energy tax breaks from the bill which democrats said were left out of last year's package but that drew the ire of conservative groups. more details available on line. vancouver, washington. your experiences. caller: one morning about nine months ago i was taking my mother to the portland international airport in oregon. she had forgotten in her purse a large butter knife about eight inches long. the top half being all metal the bottom half being metal and plastic. so she went through the checkout line there. and they put her -- since she's elderly put her through the easier line and they never noticed it it was in her purse. if i remember correctly some of the nine 11 had a box knife hidden. i really question what are we paying for here? thank you. >> thank you. we'll go to jack from miami. caller: good morning. just on the other hand i have a very good friend of mine who is a t.s.a. officer works out of miami and he is relating to m

president, for the information of all senators, we expect votes on pending amendments to the f.a.a. bill during tomorrow's session of the senate and will notify offices when they are scheduled. if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until senate stands adjourned until >> the book tells both a story of the fact that the manuscript is a national treasure is not what we thought, while also trying to chronologically think about what was madison encountering at the time. keeping those two narratives straits was quite tricky for a while. >> sunday night, q&a. boston college law school discusses her book, medicine fan. it takes a critical look at the notes madison road during and after the constitution of 1787. >> he took the sheets of paper and he writes on the front, across the middle and on the two pages across the backside. at some point he sold all of these little pieces of paper together into manuscript. one of the things we noticed when we're down there is th

ranking member nelson for the senate commerce committee to make sure this text was added to the senate's f.a.a. legislation, and i look forward to working with my senate colleagues going forward to get this legislation to the president's desk. this legislation stands as a testament to the rare ability of congress to come together in a bicameral and bipartisan manner to make the american people more secure. it serves as a direct refute to those terrorists plotting to harm the american people, the american economy and our right to move about freely without fear and without hindrance. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from mississippi is recognized. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 4698, the safe gates act, and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the legislation before us comes at a very important time. recent events have fuele

the senate is consider an amendment to f.a.a. requiring airlines to let parents sit with their kid on flights at no extra cost the right now airlines charge you to get seats together or do not allow you to pick seats. the legislation ensures parents and children are not separated while going through security. the proposal is getting push become from industry group that said they are coming anyway and the legislation is not needed. >> rand new clips coming out of the new captain america movie "civil war," does not hit theaters for a few weeks but it is the best have hero movie. the government wants to see what the awrongers are doing, steve rogers or captain america is against the idea and ironman, tony stark, supports it so they are taking sides. there are a lot of super perots -- heroes getting this fights with each other. chris evans and robert downey are among the stars that showed up. >> worked so hard for them, for fans, we do not did it for ourselves but so fans are happy. >> captain america civil war opened may 6. >> at 6:

know, they're on the f.a.a. bill now. that seems to be going well, although we'll see what happens next week. senator mcconnell is talking about doing appropriations. they're going to be doing appropriations without a budget in place in the house. derth ofps even a legislative vehicles to even do the bills with. so it's really unsettled right now. then add on top of that the supreme court battle which is of -- a very partisan and nasty tone, which even in an election year is unusual. so i would say that the general mood right now is not optimistic for major legislation. >> and niels lesniewski, will republicans be able to hold firm on the senate on the process?ion >> it sure seems like the senate republicans aren't planning on changing their tune anytime soon. every time that the white house to pretendf its way sort ofr there is some changing of the tide, you immediately here from senator mcconnell and grassley saying exactly the opposite. isdoesn't look like anything going to move on that, probably at least until after t

the country somethingly. commercial drones will fly from six f.a.a. test sites and nasa hopes to see all of the drones and be able to tell when and if drover operators stray outside of their flight plan. >> another reason to be glad we live in california we do not have to deal with this. heavy snow brought down not just one carport in colorado but it brought down seven after being hit with several feet of snow. the west of the snow collapsed the carports and several cars were damaged and workers at the apartment complex are more will come down because more snow is in the forecast. >> do not need that dram movement aheavy wet snow what you get in april. someone said it was 77 degrees the day before and they got dumped all the 18" of snow. colorado is the state that get weather whiplash like no one else. all the heat is gone after two days of recordlies. warm inland but you can see the high clouds and the change in the atmosphere showing up the last couple of hours on live doppler hd. from the east bay hills camera the winds are light, for ferry commute.

and just last week, we passed both the most pro-passenger, pro-security f.a.a. reauthorization in years and the first major energy legislation since the bush administration. so where are we? we now have a bipartisan opportunity to responsibly work through the individual funding bills. we now have a bipartisan opportunity to responsibly continue addressing funding issues like zika. what will it take? what it will take is for our democratic colleagues to end this obstruction and work cooperatively across the aisle instead. that's not too much to ask, so let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture. i believe that when you give senators and the people they represent more of a say in the legislative process, they're bound to take more of a stake in the legislative outcome. regardless of party. that's why we have empowered committees and members to take the lead in more areas. that's how we've gotten the senate back to work in so many ways. i think members in both parties have seen the benefits of it. so yes, some may see a short-term political benefit in bio

president, i move to proceed to h.r. 636, the vehicle we will use for f.a.a. reauthorization. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 55, h.r. 636, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 198 to permanently ex-- 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. reid: mr. president, i understand why, in my remarks i'll make that very clear in a few minutes, why my friend, the republican leader is doing everything he can to throw a good light on the judiciary committee. it's kind of hard to do with what's going on today. and this bill that we're going to vote on at 5:30, we don't -- this would have passed unanimous consent. everybody knows that. we don't need to take up time of the senate on a bill that would pass just like that. doing that because it focuses less attention on the inadequacy of the judiciary committee. the defend trade secrets act was reported out of the committee easily. no problem. it w

these amendments put forth by republicans and democrats emphasize the bipartisan nature of this issue and this bipartisan f.a.areauthorization and security bill. nearly 60 amendments from both sides were accepted in committee, and more than a dozen from both sides were accepted here on the floor. i encourage members to continue working across the aisle to move this bill forward as the chairman reminded us yesterday, this bill contains the most comprehensive set of aviation security reforms in years. so let's take the next step in passing this legislation and getting it one step closer to becoming law. now one other matter, 40 years ago this week christine katuchi set out to spend her summer as a tour guide at the capitol. she still remembers her first day in the summer of 1976. it was a much different time back then, without the screening protocols and limitations on where visitors could go like we have today. christine parked her car and walked straight up the main rotunda steps ready to work. she didn't have intentions of staying past the summer, much less for four decades. but today some 16 sergeant at arms

currently even the most advanced versions of the f-16 and f -- excuse me -- f.a.a. team would be har hard pressed to defeat sh threats alone. that's why we need the f-35 and with the f-35 we can maintain our ability to strike any target anywhere in the world. the f-35 is not only a tremendous strike aircraft but it is also a war-winning dog fighter. in fact, when facing legacy aircraft like the f-16 and air-to-air combat scenarios, the f-35 consistently wins these engagements. the aircraft's combination of stealth, maneuverability and superior battle space awareness allows the f-35 to enter the fight against legacy aircraft with a great advantage. if you ask our marine, navy, and air force pilots flying this aircraft today, they will tell you as they've told me that this is the best fighter aircraft they have ever flown and the plane they want to take into battle above all others. this conclusion is shared not just by american pilots who have flown the aircraft but also our allies who have chosen to purchase the f-35 out of a wide variety of aircraft which are curren

the f.a.a. bill on the floor. i'd like to discuss some of the amendments that are proposed and hopefully a couple that we will be voting on this morning. there are a couple of amendments -- one offered by senator thune on behalf of himself and this senator, the ranking member of the commerce committee, another offered by senator heinrich -- both amendments of which apply, deal with the issue of security but in different arenas. let me explain. the thune-nelson amendment applies to the question of perimeter security of allowing employees to get into an airport, not the sterile area controlled by t.s.a. although, as i will explain, it can definitely affect the sterile area as well. on the other hand, the heinrich amendment addresses security in the areas where passengers bunch up outside of t.s.a. security, such as in a queue-up line going through t.s.a. security or passengers bunched up at the ticket counters checking in their luggage. either way, as we saw from the experience of the brussels airp

the f.a.a. has sought to keep up by using the authority it already has to safely advance this burgeoning industry but there are limits to what the f.a.a. can do with only outdated authority to manage this rapidly advancing technology. passing this reform bill would help the f.a.a. remove barriers to innovation and address unacceptable safety risks when it comes to unmanned aircraft. just last month, "the los angeles times" reported on an incident where a airlines 8380 jumbo jet approaching los angeles international airport experienced a near miss with a drone that flew just 200 feet over the airliner. while fortunately in this case the two did not collide, the prospect of a jumbo jet carrying hundreds of passengers striking a drone while flying over a heavily populated area is chilling. our colleague from california, senator feinstein, noted in a statement on this incident that our f.a.a. bill includes key reforms that will keep drones out of the path of airliners. she add, and i quote, "we must

funding once certified by the f.a.a. it's important because these virtual towers like the one in the fort collins-loveland airport area will allow small and medium sized airports to offer commercial service in an economically viable and sustainable way. in northern colorado really is the gateway to colorado's energy hub, the gateway to colorado's biotech, bioscience engineering research university hub and by allowing this virtual tower in northern colorado and fort collins-loveland airport, we can help expand the opportunity to reach that area for businesses who wish to locate there, for customers who wish to fly into the area and also for those businesses to expand who are already there to have further reach around the country and the world. another central responsibility of the f.a.a. is to ensure that the air space is being safely managed while allowing the industries that are dependent on aviation to thrive. and i think that this legislation after months and months of work really does strike that appropriate balance.

it requires the f.a.a. to make a plan to work with law enforcement and other authorities in the event of an incident. it requires the if a to develop guidelines for training and response to security threats and active shooter incidents a understand to ensthiewr as the f.a.a. makes investments in infrastructure and basic equipment such as electrical systems and telecommunications, they think about resil resiliend survivability. we learned those lessons the hard way in shivment -- in chi. i hope the senate will take up my amendment so other airports will be ready in the future. we need to have a commitment to our security at our airports and around the united states. while i'm on the subject of airports, i want to recognize my friend and former colleague in the house, congressman ray lahood. he was then named secretary of transportation by president obama. the peoria airport honored him naming their new international terminal after him. he served four years as president obama's secretary of transportation. sec

while i understand the f.a.a.'s interest in ensuring that airports receive a fair rate for the space that they lease, i'm glad that this legislation will clarify that military units, including the national guard, can continue to receive nominal leases. if an airport and a military unit agree to renew a low-cost leashes, they should be able to -- low-cost lease they should be able to proceed without concern that the f.a.a. will revoke grant authority. the communities that host our military bases are proud of their role in national defense. these airports shouldn't have to choose between continuing to host a military tenant and maintaining eligibility for grants that can improve the safety and efficiency of local airport operations. again i want to applaud leader mcconnell, leader reid, chairman thune and ranking member nelson for the work on this important bipartisan legislation, and i urge my colleagues to support its passage early next week. madam president, i suggest the absence of a

this is a good start to the f.a.a. bill. it is improving the underlying bill that has a lot of attention to security already in it, but these are clearly amendments that will improve the bill. i spoke about it earlier today. i certainly commend these amendments to the senate. mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. thune: madam president, i ask the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on amendment numbered 3512, offered by the senator from south dakota, as modified. mr. thune: madam president, i yield back whatever time remains on the -- the presiding officer: the question is on the amendment. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: a senator: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote? if not, on this vote, the ayes are 85, the nays ar