FAA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House bid to privatize the nation’s air-traffic control system faces hurdles including widespread Democratic opposition, many skeptical GOP senators and industry divisions that scuttled earlier efforts.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao tried to rev up support Wednesday [6-7-17] by offering assurances that rural communities won’t be shortchanged, and that airport towers at small airports operated by contractors will be protected from cutbacks under the proposed system. ‘I’m very concerned about access for rural America,’ she told the Senate Commerce Committee, but said those areas are ‘most hurt by the status quo.’
Reflecting the extent of opposition in the Senate, GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said ‘this is a tough sell’ for rural lawmakers. Sen Bill Nelson of Florida, the panel’s top Democrat, said reviving the debate over traffic control privatization ‘distracts from legitimate matters that must be addressed,’ including additional consumer protections for passengers.”
-Andy Pasztor, Natalie Andrews, and Susan Carey, “Trump Air-Traffic Plan Faces Turbulence,” The Wall Street Journal online, June 7, 2017 12:02pm