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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-john-mica-calls-tsa-... Rep. John Mica Calls TSA His 'Little Bastard Child'
March 30, 2011
Rep. John Mica, the Florida Republican who helped set up the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after 9/11 but has made no secret of his hatred for it, today called the agency "the little bastard child I created."
He said the agency is out of control, has far too many screeners and highly paid bureaucrats. Mica said, "The bad news is I created them after 9/11, the good news is I am now chairman and I will get them." Mica said, as he has before, that he would like to turn over screening to private companies under TSA supervision.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400669/larry-hanna... Rep. John Mica: No end in sight for FAA reauthorization bill
On Monday U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said he had no idea when a FAA reauthorization bill would pass. Mica, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is locked in a feud with Senate Democrats over a provision that would make it easier for airport workers to unionize.
Mica has said he won't allow a that provision to pass, while Senate Democrats are refusing to allow anything to pass without that provision.
The FAA shut down non-essential operations Friday because no reauthorization bill was approved. Flights have not been affected, but construction at a airports has stopped.
Airlines have not had to collect FAA mandated taxes on airfares since Friday, but the airlines raised their rates that day, so consumers have not seen a decrease in airfare.
http://atwonline.com/international-aviation-regulation/... FAA partial shutdown continues; lawmakers refuse to budge
Around 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed. ($200 million per week in taxes are being lost without savings to consumers.)
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