Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Wednesday blamed “one or two people who wouldn’t compromise” for the impasse in Congress that has led to a partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration.
LaHood, a Republican who served in the House, called in to C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” show to rip Congress for not passing an FAA reauthorization bill before recessing for the summer. LaHood did not specify the one or two people he was talking about, but praised Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for putting aside his state and ego to resolve the stalemate. He said Reid was willing to move a House-passed bill through the Senate even though it would have cut funding for an airport in Nevada.
Reid “stood tall,” LaHood said.
Throughout the interview, LaHood pointed the finger at Republicans for being “stubborn,” saying the failure of Congress has led to the loss of 4,000 jobs at the FAA and 70,000 construction employees stopping work.
