United MEC Government Affairs Committee Update

Date: September 9, 2014
Type: Report

URGENT ACTION NEEDED BY ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS:  KEEPING VOICE CALLS OFF THE AIRPLANE 

U.S. Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) have circulated a Congressional sign-on letter which they wrote to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  This letter asks these four federal agencies to work collaboratively to ensure all safety and security concerns raised by the introduction of wireless communication capabilities are identified and fully addressed.  The letter also urges the continued ban on voice calls on commercial aircraft.  

The McKinley/Lipinski letter (attached) is being circulated to all 435 offices of the U.S. House of Representatives, along with a “Dear Colleague” letter (attached), which asks their Congressional colleagues to join them in their efforts by agreeing to cosign the letter.   This is a bipartisan effort for a multi-agency, comprehensive analysis of any potential safety and security risks posed by expanded inflight wireless communications. 

With tensions on airplanes rising daily, the addition of voice calls in the cabin is a recipe for disaster.  We need to do everything practical to keep this from happening ….. this letter is another good step in that direction.  But in order for it to have its greatest impact we need to urge all 435 U.S. Representatives to cosign the letter.   

This will take all of us lobbying by phone and e-mail the offices to our U.S. Representatives with the following message and then following up a few days later to ask whether these offices have cosigned the McKinley/Lipinski letter. 

Steps to take: 

1)      Find your member of Congress and look up their DC phone number at www.house.gov

2)      Call the office;

3)      Ask to speak to the legislative staff assistant who handles aviation/transportation issues (be sure to get the correct spelling of their name and e-mail address if you can) 

4)     If you receive voice mail, which is most likely, leave the Sample Phone Message (or similar)  below

5)     If the staff person answers use the Sample Phone Message to discuss this issue

6)     Follow-up 

Sample Phone Message:  

 

“Hello, my name is  ________ .  I am a constituent and a Member of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.  I am calling to urge Congresswoman/Congressman ________________  to sign a letter being circulated by Representatives David McKinley and Dan Lipinski.  This sign-on letter is addressed to the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation and the FCC, urging these four federal agencies to work collaboratively to address any potential safety and security risks posed by expanded inflight wireless communications and to continue the ban on inflight voice calls.   

The lessons of 9/11 taught us that federal regulators must work together to stop vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.  It is prudent that these four agencies review that all potential safety and security risks are addressed before wireless technologies are more broadly permitted for use on commercial aircraft.

I urge Congresswoman/Congressman _____________________  to stand with the nation’s Flight Attendants to ensure that the U.S. aviation system remains the safest in the world.   My phone is _______________  if you have any questions.  Thank-you.” 

Sample E-Mail Follow-Up:

Dear ___________,

This is a follow-up to my voice mail message about the Dear Colleague and Congressional sign-on letter being circulated by Congressmen David McKinley and Dan Lipinski.  The sign-on letter, addressed to the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation and the FCC, urges these four federal agencies to work collaboratively to address any potential safety and security risks posed by expanded inflight wireless communications.  The letter also asks for a continued ban on inflight voice calls.   

The lessons of 9/11 taught us that federal regulators must work together to stop vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.  It is prudent that these four agencies review that all potential safety and security risks are addressed before wireless technologies are more broadly permitted for use on commercial aircraft.

Once again, I urge Congresswoman/Congressman __________  to stand with the nation’s Flight Attendants by signing on to this letter.   With the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks   Chose one:   looming or just over,   we should do everything possible to ensure that the U.S. aviation system remains the safest in the world. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.  To cosign the letter please contact Cory Toth with Congressman McKinley cory.toth@mail.house.gov  225-4172 or Andrew Davis with Congressman Lipinski Andrew.Davis@mail.house.gov, 225-5701.  

Thank you for bringing this issue to Congresswoman/Congressman _____________’s  attention. 

Sincerely,  

Once you have completed your calls and follow-up, please contact any other Congressional House offices you have normally contact. 

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to finish up their work by September 18 or 19th so we have a limited amount of time to gather signatures for the McKinley/Lipinski letter.  

If a Congressional asks, the contacts to cosign the letter please are Cory Toth with Congressman McKinley cory.toth@mail.house.gov  225-4172 or Andrew Davis with Congressman Lipinski Andrew.Davis@mail.house.gov, 225-5701.  

Please start your calls as soon as possible and let us know who you have contacted. 

Let us know if you have any questions or if you need/want a list of offices to contact. 

 

 

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