Pres. Obama clash with GOP over Airline safety

The Hill 03/25/12 Alexander Bolton

“Obama set to clash with House GOP over program for training armed airline pilots”

http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/homeland-and-coast-guard/217953-obama-set-to-clash-with-house-gop-over-program-training-armed-airline-pilots-

President Obama and House Republicans are set to clash over the administration’s proposal to slash money for training pilots on how to handle firearms in the cockpit.

Obama’s budget proposed a 52-percent cut in the federal flight deck officer program, which certifies pilots to carry handguns while flying commercial planes.

Congress authorized the program after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and its backers argue it is a cost-effective way to defend against future hijackings.

The administration, however, wants to focus resources on “risk-based operational initiatives”, such as the Federal Air Marshall Service, which can be deployed to defend against specific threats.

Freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), a former pilot for Northwest Airlines, and a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is ready to battle Obama over the cuts.

Commons Sense Review

This is a double edge sword. First I don’t think it is the taxpayers responsibility to pay for gun training for pilot to which the govt wouldn’t have the authority to regulate or dictate what training the airline staff can do. Why isn’t the airlines independently decide what kind of training their staff should take.

Second, if the govt uses tax dollars to fund the airlines then passage safety must be require as an essential skill for all airline staff. When you are responsible for the lives of many people, I think if the pilots want the extra responsible of carrying a weapon, let them.