Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warned Tuesday that rolling back spending for the Federal Aviation Administration to 2008 levels would “terrorize” air traffic systems and invoked the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 in urging members to vote to provide the agency more funding.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul proposed the spending cap as an amendment to the $59.7 billion FAA re-authorization bill this month.
“The Rand Paul amendment will just terrorize the air traffic system in our country,” Reid told reporters hours before the vote was scheduled. “It will just do it great harm.”
Reid warned against an impending terror attack if the FAA spending cuts were too severe.
“Think about the devastation of the Twin Towers in New York,” he said.
The FAA bill would fund the agency for two years and update the nation’s outdated air traffic control equipment. The Senate voted Tuesday night to table the amendment until a later date.
Caitlin Emma contributed to this report.