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Press Releases

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman today signed on to bipartisan legislation that would prevent the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from targeting air traffic control towers. In March, the FAA announced that it would eliminate funding for 149 contract control towers nationwide, including towers in Fayetteville and Texarkana, due to sequestration.

“Over the past month, Senator Boozman and I have fought hard against the FAA’s irresponsible plan to cut air traffic control towers in Arkansas,” Pryor said. “These tower closures would not only negatively impact jobs and economic development in our state, but across the whole country. The Senate should take up and pass this bill immediately.”

“Congress has given the FAA flexibility to meet its post-sequestration budget without closing these contract towers. Yet the administration continues to insist that the closures are necessary. We need to pass this legislation to ensure that the FAA finds a reasonable solution that is fair and evenhanded, instead of one that disproportionately hurts rural America. It is time for the administration to put its doom and gloom approach to sequestration away and start seriously addressing these issues,” Boozman said.

Leading this bill are Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Joining Pryor and Boozman as co-sponsors are Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Al Franken (D-MN), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Tom Udall (D-NM), David Vitter (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).