President Bush expected to sign aviation spending bill
Washington-AP -- Flight attendants would be trained in self-defense, cargo pilots could carry guns and all air traffic control jobs would be protected from privatization for a year. Those are parts of a 60 (b) billion dollar aviation spending bill President Bush is expected to sign. The Senate passed it on a voice vote Friday night, after getting assurances from Bush that no air traffic control jobs would be privatized for at least a year.
The Bush administration wanted Congress to give the Federal Aviation Administration authority to hire private operators at 69 towers. But the air traffic controllers union and critics in Congress said privately run towers are not as safe because oversight is less stringent.
The cargo industry opposes arming cargo pilots, saying it's too dangerous. And flight attendants say the self-defense course created by the government would still be voluntary, and would have to be taken on a flight attendant's own time.
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