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29 Principles above Politics During our twelve years in the wilderness there were many noteworthy achievements that I feel were real national game changers. And all of them received significant bipartisan support. Protecting Protectors Several members of the Flight Attendants Association, one of whom was a constituent , started visiting with me during my first year in Congress to discuss two of their priorities: whistle-blower protection for airline employees and a ban on smoking on airliners. I had no problem with either of these issues, but I had taken to heart a lesson taught to me by a long-serving white state senator from Orangeburg, Marshall Williams . He was very southern and very conservative but rather progressive by South Carolina standards. During my tenure in the governor’s office, Senator Williams periodically dropped into my office to chat and offer political advice. During one of those visits, he informed me that he had some concerns about my having recently commented on an issue that was quite controversial. He reminded me of an earlier controversy I had commented on. He told me that he generally agreed with me but felt I was taking on too much. He summarized his visit with some advice I took to heart. “Remember my friend,” he said to me, “you can’t ride every horse in the circus.” So I said to the flight attendants that I would be pleased to champion their whistle-blower protection issue , but although I agreed with their smoking ban, I did not feel comfortable taking on that issue at that time. Consequently, on March 28, 1996, during the One Hundred Fourth Congress, I introduced HR 3187, the Aviation Safety Protection Act of 1996. Ironically, on May 11, 1996, ValuJet flight 592 crashed into the Everglades outside of Miami, Florida. The investigation raised questions about canisters on board that may have been impermissible and whether or not they contributed to the cause of the crash. It was also implied that some airline employees were aware of the situation but did not say anything out of fear for their jobs. The Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on my bill on July 10, 1996. I had 73 cosponsors. In spite of strong bipartisan support, it became clear to me that my bill would not see the light of day. So we set out to find a Republican who might step up on the issue and were successful. On March 4, 1997, in the One Hundred Fifth 258 Treading and Toiling Congress, Representative Sherwood Boehlert of New York, a member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, introduced HR 915, the Aviation Safety Protection Act of 1997. I and 127 other members signed on as cosponsors of the bill. Protecting those who are trying to protect us should be a no-brainer. But, as often happens, bottom-line profits trumped common sense and public safety, and every now and then we pay a heavy price. Such was the case with the ValuJet crash. Yet the airlines continued their opposition to the bill and nothing happened. Two years later, on March 3, 1999, Congressman Boehlert introduced HR 953, the Aviation Safety Protection Act of 1999. It had 101 cosponsors. Congressman Boehlert and I worked to successfully get the bill incorporated in the Aviation Reauthorization Bill, and on April 5, 2000, the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Act became Public Law 106-181. We became heroes to the airline flight attendants and pilots. They held a big rally in room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building and passed out T-shirts with the outline of a big whistle on them and the words “Our Hero.” But I was declared persona non grata by the Airline Owners Association and was no longer invited to their events. I received the ultimate vindication, however, when shortly after the 2001 shoe bomber incident at Logan International Airport in Boston, I received a letter from the flight attendants, informing me that the attendant whose actions probably averted a disaster said that she felt embolden by our law. Honoring Our Heritage I became aware that a bill to establish several new Heritage Corridors was expected to move through Congress. I knew that the last time such a bill was considered, efforts to include South Carolina failed. I also knew that the previous attempt was for a corridor roughly along the route of the old Hamburg railroad that the Best Friend rolled on. A replica of this historic train is in the South Carolina...

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