Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee protests Trump plan to privatize air traffic control

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Few people will sing the praises of air travel these days, but at a news conference Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said regardless, it's safe and the proposal to privatize the system is old wine in new bottles.

“Nobody wants this proposal. No one is going to pass this proposal. This is a failed approach,” Jackson Lee said.

Jackson Lee says that what makes the system so safe is the coordination between the department of defense and the FAA.

“The DOD does not collaborate with private entities. Our security will be jeopardy,“ Jackson Lee said.

But the president and his supporters say privatization is needed because the system is antiquated. It hasn't changed much in decades despite government attempts at upgrading it.

“This is the technology we use. If you go to these other countries, if you go to a tower in Toronto or in Heathrow or Hong Kong it's all done electronically. They have modern systems,” said Republican Rep. Bill Shuster.

“Americans can look forward to cheaper, faster, safer travel where 20 percent of the ticket price doesn't go to the government and you don't have to  sit on the tarmac or circle for hours over an airport,” said President Trump.

People on both sides of the debate admit it's very safe with no fatal crashes in eight years and under the plan the FAA would continue to oversee safety. While the airlines support the proposed change, that might not mean much to the passengers these days.