The events of September 11th remind us all that we are living in a dangerous world and Congress must take new steps to protect our citizens. We must do whatever is possible to protect Americans in the air and on the land, which includes giving pilots the tools they need to do their job.

On July 10th, I voted for H.R. 4635, the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act, which passed the House by a vote of 310-113. This bill includes an amendment, which removes the 2% cap on pilots who can be trained with firearms, as included in the original bill. Any pilot who wishes to be trained should have that opportunity.

This bill is a logical step in our quest to help ensure safety in the skies. With access to a firearm, pilots may have been able to foil the cowardly attacks of terrorist armed with box-cutters. Hopefully, this will prevent such acts in the future and give passengers a little peace of mind.