WASHINGTON, D.C.—-The following statement was issued today by Capt. Duane Woerth, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, in response to the 310-113 vote in the House of Representatives for a bill that would allow selective arming of airline pilots:

We are extremely pleased with the House of Representatives’ vote.  Voluntary arming of airline pilots is another necessary layer in our overall efforts to provide a robust and effective defense against terrorism.

Our hope now is that the Senate and the White House will recognize that the overwhelming House vote reflects enormous public support for arming pilots, and that they will work toward making this a successful program.

ALPA represents 66,000 airline pilots at 43 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.  The ALPA Web site is at http://www.alpa.org.  Click on the graphic in the upper right corner for more information on arming pilots.

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