Langhorne, PA—Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) commended the Senate passage of the Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2018, included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization:

“I am pleased that the Senate passed a bipartisan FAA reauthorization to strengthen our air travel framework and keep our nation safe. Through the tireless efforts of Ellen Saracini, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, and Senator Toomey, the Saracini Aviation Safety Act is finally headed to the President’s desk,” said Fitzpatrick. “By requiring all new commercial aircraft to have secondary cockpit barriers, this bipartisan agreement seeks to prevent our airliners from being hijacked again. We will continue to fight alongside Ellen Saracini until all current passenger aircraft contain secondary barriers.”

“On 9/11, terrorists stormed the cockpit knowing that the doors would be opened early in the flight. And until today, that flight deck remained vulnerable when the cockpit had to open,” said Gottheimer. “Last week, the House passed Ellen Saracini's bipartisan bill and today the Senate did their job in getting this to the President's desk, helping prevent another tragedy like 9/11 from ever occurring again. I'm proud to get it done alongside Congressman Fitzpatrick and Senator Toomey. I also support the TSA's recent decision to have its aviation security advisory committee assess secondary barriers in greater depth and look forward to the committee's findings.”

The legislation is named in honor of pilot Captain Victor J. Saracini, who was killed when terrorists hijacked United Flight 175 on September 11, 2001. Saracini’s widow, Ellen, is a leading advocate on the issue since her husband’s death.

The bill overwhelming passed the House last month. It is expected to be signed by the President. 

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