Here’s another big fight to get ready for:
President Donald Trump threw his weight behind a proposal to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system on Monday, and a White House adviser called the multibillion dollar effort “low-hanging fruit” that can get through Congress quickly.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson doesn’t see it that way.
Nelson, up for reelection in 2018, is the top Democrat on the Senate committee which oversees the Federal Aviation Administration. He fought for years against proposals to hand the nation’s air traffic control system over to a private non-profit, which he argues will hurt smaller airports and recreational flights.
“The safety of the flying public should not be for sale,” Nelson said Monday. “Handing air traffic control over to a private entity partly governed by the airlines is both a risk and liability we can’t afford to take.”
Nelson’s opposition has been successful for years, as Democrats and Republicans from rural states fretted about privatization’s effect on small airports and recreational aviation. A privatization bill proposed by House Transportation chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., didn’t even make it to the House floor last Congress.
Now Shuster has jumped over to Trump’s team but Nelson has Senate Appropriations chairman, Thad Cochran(R. MS), and Transportation Subcommittee chairwoman, Susan Collins (R. ME), in his corner. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D. CA) is also on Nelson’s side against privatization. This is a big fight heating up and Progressive Change Campaign Committee is pushing other Democrats to follow Nelson’s lead. Here’s the e-mail I received from PCCC last night:
Yesterday, Trump announced his plan to sell off American roads and bridges -- even our air traffic control system!
NPR: Trump Announces Plan To Privatize Air Traffic Control
WASHINGTON POST: White House formally backs plan to transfer air traffic control system to private corporation
USA TODAY: In infrastructure push, Trump seeks to privatize air traffic control system
Privatizing air traffic control is just Trump's first step. He also wants to sell off our roads, bridges, and other public assets to foreign corporations and his Wall Street billionaire friends -- allowing them to put up new tolls and put our money in their pockets.
But we’re ready for him. We’re fighting back with a progressive plan to create MILLIONS OF JOBS by rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges, schools -- and investing in 21st century jobs like clean energy.
SIGN THE PETITION: We need massive public investment in roads, bridges, schools, and 21st century projects -- not giveaways to Wall Street and giant corporations.
For months, we’ve been a leader within the large coalition of progressive groups and members of Congress that launched the MILLIONS OF JOBS campaign and House resolution just over a week ago. We're already making big news!
USA TODAY: Democrats' infrastructure proposal contrasts with Trump's plan, budget
WASHINGTON POST: With proposed Trump cuts, chances fade for a bipartisan infrastructure deal
We're now over 30 co-sponsors on the House resolution -- up from 5 we started with!
With Trump's announcement imminent, dozens of organizations and unions worked all day Sunday on final preparations to respond in force this week in newspapers, on TV, by email and social media, and by protesting Trump at his own events.
No Democrats should support any so-called plan that's a massive giveaway to Wall Street, foreign corporations, and Trump's cronies.
Our progressive MILLIONS OF JOBS plan, announced just over a week ago will invest in creating millions of new jobs; prioritize public investment over corporate giveaways; prioritize racial and gender equity, environmental justice, and worker protections; invest in 21st century jobs such as expanding solar and wind energy, avoid support for projects that promote fossil fuel use, protect wages, prioritize the needs of urban and rural disadvantaged communities, and ensure the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations pay their fair share.
It will NOT be paid for at the expense of Social Security and other vital programs, and it will NOT weaken or repeal existing rules and laws protecting our environment, worker safety, wages, or equity hiring practices.
SIGN THE PETITION: We need massive public investment in roads, bridges, schools, and 21st century projects -- not giveaways to Wall Street and giant corporations.
Democratic leaders nationwide will showcase this petition at media events this week opposing Trump’s Wall Street giveaway plan.
We're as proud as we can be to be working on this campaign alongside the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Communications Workers of America, Center for Popular Democracy, ColorOfChange, Working Families Party, MoveOn, NextGen Climate, 350 Action, Roosevelt Institute, Demos Action, Free Press, Democracy for America, Food & Water Watch, PICO, and other organizations and unions that represent millions of Americans.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
-- Maria Langholz, PCCC organizer
Click here to add your name.
By the way, this is a great move on Nelson’s end, especially since he’s up for re-election and Trump is trying to get Governor Rick Scott (R. FL) to run against him next year. Speaking of which, looks like Scott and potential gubernatorial candidate, House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R. FL), are having some problems back home:
The Florida Legislature returns to Tallahassee for a special session Wednesday. With the House and Senate headed in opposite directions, the priorities of Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran are in big trouble.
Days after Senate President Joe Negron stood with Scott and Corcoran at a Miami airport press conference, the Senate wants to help hospitals, overturn Scott's vetoes of college and university spending and pay for a public school increase partly with property taxes from new construction. Corcoran on Tuesday called his fellow Republicans' tax idea a "massive property tax increase," a sign of a disaster in the making.
It gets worse. Irritated by Scott's line item vetoes, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, describes a Senate unified behind Negron and fed up with Corcoran scripting a deal to get what he wants: Scott's signature on HB 7069, the big education policy bill with its expansion of charter schools that came within one vote of defeat in the Senate.
That bill hovers over the Capitol like a dark cloud, with some senators having voted for it last month only because they thought Scott would veto it, which they now realize was a mistake. Now senators are asked to ratify a Scott-Corcoran deal on jobs, tourism and education to make it more likely Scott would sign 7069, and it sounds like all bets are off.
Latvala called the House's jobs and tourism bill (HB 1A) dead in the Senate and called Corcoran, a potential rival for governor, the most transactional politician he's ever seen in 15 years in Tallahassee. "Everything has a price," Latvala said. (Corcoran similarly views Latvala as purely transactional).
Put simply, Negron can't guarantee an outcome in his chamber the way Corcoran can in the House. Scott and Corcoran again may have underestimated the Senate's institutional reputation for independence.
Whatever happens, let’s make sure Nelson is ready for next year. Click here to donate and get involved with Nelson’s re-election campaign.