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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 6 June 2017
Former Dem VP Trump seeks to privatize US air traffic control system
Biden to headline
Romney summit By KEN THOMAS extensive period of safety There are about 50,000 and Mary Peters.
Associated Press in the skies — there hasn’t airline and other aircraft The president’s team in-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- been a fatal crash of a do- flights a day in the United vited several Republican
days after launching a dent Donald Trump said mestic airliner in the U.S. in States. Both sides of the members of Congress, in-
new political action com- Monday that the nation’s eight years. privatization debate say cluding Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
mittee, former Democratic air traffic control system Trump chose to make the the system is one of the and House Majority Leader
Vice President Joe Biden needed a modern make-
will join Republican officials over and urged Congress
and donors at a weekend to approve a privatization
retreat hosted by former plan that he said would in-
GOP presidential nominee crease safety and reduce
Mitt Romney. wait times for passengers.
Biden will be interviewed Dismissing the current sys-
by Romney during a Fri- tem as an anachronism,
day evening event in Park Trump said the air traffic
City, Utah, at the invitation- control operations need-
only summit, according to ed to be separated from
a Biden spokesman and the Federal Aviation Ad-
participants briefed on the ministration, an approach
schedule. The speaker line- that U.S. airlines have long
up for what is traditionally a championed. But oppo-
gathering of Romney allies nents worry that the plan,
is packed with high-profile which would require con-
Republicans, among them gressional approval, will
House Speaker Paul Ryan give too much power to
and Sens. Lindsey Graham the airline industries.
and John McCain. “We live in a modern age
Ryan was Romney’s run- yet our air traffic control
ning mate in 2012. system is stuck, painfully,
Biden spokeswoman Kate in the past,” Trump said,
Bedingfield confirmed noting the FAA had been President Donald Trump speaks at a Air Traffic Control Reform Initiative announcement in the East
Biden’s attendance on working to upgrade the Room at the White House, Monday, June 5, 2017, in Washington.
Monday ahead of the system for years. “But after (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
three-day conference, billions and billions of tax case to privatize the sys- most complex and safest Kevin McCarthy of Califor-
which starts on Thursday. dollars spent and the many
“Biden is attending be- years of delays, we’re still tem at the start of a week in the world. Even under nia, airline industry execu-
tives, union members and
a congressional privatiza-
focused on repairing the
cause he believes in bi- stuck with an ancient, bro-
partisanship and the im- ken, antiquated, horrible nation’s infrastructure of tion plan, the FAA would others to the event in the
continue to provide safety
East Room.
roads, bridges and air-
portance of keeping good system that doesn’t work.”
lines of communication Trump added with a touch ports. But his message was oversight of the system. Creating the impression of
overshadowed by his ear-
As he pushed for the
a bill signing, Trump was
open across the aisle,” she of humor, “Other than that,
said. it’s quite good.” lier commentary on Twit- changes, Trump was surrounded by the law-
ter, in which he assailed
makers after his remarks
flanked by three former
The former vice president, The businessman-turned-
74, last week unveiled a president’s push to priva- the mayor of London after U.S. transportation secre- as he signed a decision
the city’s terror attack and
memo and a letter to Con-
taries who served under
political action committee tize the system came as
that stoked fresh specula- the airline industry and reg- criticized his own Justice Presidents Ronald Reagan gress outlining his principles
for the air traffic control
and George W. Bush: Eliza-
Department’s handling of
tion he may seek the presi- ulators have managed an
dency in 2020. The com- his proposed travel ban. beth Dole, James Burnley plan.q
mittee, named American
Possibilities PAC, allows him White House:
to raise money for candi-
dates, pay for politically Trump won’t seek to block Comey testimony
related travel costs and
maintain relationships with
donors. By JULIE PACE But she said Trump wanted discussions with the presi- Comey to testify publicly.
In an email to supporters Associated Press to allow for a “swift and dent pertained to national On Sunday, Sen. Roy Blunt,
about the new organiza- WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- thorough examination of security and that there was a Missouri Republican and
tion, Biden said “the neg- dent Donald Trump will not the facts” related to Com- an expectation of privacy. a member of the intelli-
ativity, the pettiness, the assert executive privilege ey’s ouster and the multiple However, officials ulti- gence committee, said the
small-mindedness of our to block fired FBI Director investigations into his cam- mately concluded that the president would be “better
politics drives me crazy.” James Comey from tes- paign’s possible ties to Rus- optics of taking that step served by getting all this in-
He did not mention Presi- tifying on Capitol Hill, the sia. would be worse than the formation out.”
dent Donald Trump by White House said Monday, Comey is scheduled to risk of letting the former FBI “Sooner rather than later,
name but said that kind of setting the stage for a dra- testify Thursday before the director testify freely. let’s find out what hap-
politics is “not who we are.” matic public airing of the Senate intelligence com- Legal experts have also pened and bring this to a
Romney was a prominent former top law enforce- mittee. said that the president conclusion,
Trump critic in the months ment official’s dealings with His appearance will mark likely undermined his abil- ” Blunt said on “Fox News
leading up to last fall’s the commander in chief. his first public comments ity to assert executive privi- Sunday.” ‘’You don’t do
election and many of his White House spokeswoman since he was abruptly fired lege by publicly discussing that I think by invoking ex-
Republican allies were Sarah Huckabee Sanders by the president on May 9. his dealings with Comey in ecutive privilege on a con-
prominent voices in the said the president’s power White House officials had tweets and interviews. versation you had appar-
“Never Trump” movement. to invoke executive privi- weighed trying to block Lawmakers in both parties ently with nobody else in
q lege is “well-established.” Comey by arguing that his have urged Trump to allow the room.” q