WASHINGTON (AP) -- Backers of a bill to arm airline pilots were expecting tough opposition in the Senate, even though the anti-terrorist measure passed the House by a wide margin.þþIn the House, where the bill passed Wednesday, the bill enjoyed support from the Republican leaders of the House Transportation Committee. In the Senate, however, the chairman of the Commerce Committee, South Carolina Democrat Ernest Hollings, opposes the legislation.þþThat will make it much harder to get the legislation to the Senate floor, let alone negotiate a compromise with the House. And any bill would have to be signed into law by President Bush, who reiterated his opposition Wednesday.þþProponents, including pilots and flight attendant unions, backed by the National Rifle Association, plan to lobby senators to vote in favor of putting guns in the cockpit.þþThe Senate sponsors say they may bypass Hollings' committee, perhaps offering the legislation as an amendment to another bill, such as the measure funding the Transportation Department.þþ``A freestanding bill is not the only way to pass something in the Senate,'' said Sen. Robert Smith, R-N.H.þþJust as Wednesday's overwhelming House vote -- 310-113 -- transcended party lines and ideologies, the coalition of Senate supporters include not only conservative Republicans like Smith and Conrad Burns of Montana, but also liberal California Democrat Barbara Boxer.þþHouse supporters said they hoped the size of their win may encourage other senators to back the legislation.þþ``That vote shows there's incredibly strong support,'' said House Transportation aviation subcommittee chairman John Mica, R-Fla. ``If the Senate doesn't hear the wake-up call, I think they will hear from the public and from the pilots.''þþUnion officials are already making plans to contact senators. With more than 70,000 airline pilots, the unions can generate plenty of phone calls and letters.þþ``We are going to endeavor to talk to every senator,'' said Capt. Sam Mayer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots.þþThe pilots' efforts are being supported by the National Rifle Association, one of the country's most powerful lobbying groups. The NRA told House members that their vote on arming pilots could affect their endorsement this fall, and it plans to do the same in the Senate, executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said.þþ``There's going to be overwhelming pressure on the Senate to pass this,'' LaPierre said. ``We are scoring the vote and we're going all out to try to win it. It's an additional insurance policy against these terrorists.''þþSo far, Hollings isn't budging from his opposition.þþ``We're trying to improve the security of our airlines and make sure we're keeping the weapons off,'' Hollings spokesman Andrew Davis said. ``It's counterproductive to allow weapons to be brought on the planes. We should lock the cockpit door, create a cabin that's absolutely secure, and that ends the threat.''þþBurns spokesman Eric Bovim said Hollings' position can be overcome, noting that 60 senators could force a vote on a bill with a provision allowing pilots to carry guns.þþ``If there are 60 people in the Senate who want to do something,'' Bovim said, ``it's going to be tough for one man to stop them.''þþ
Source: NY Times
