{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=3d6f677f-94cd-46f3-8b44-0a7da6dba385", "Alexander, Feinstein Introduce Legislation to Stop Airplane Cell Phone Conversations", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Lamar Alexander", "A000360", "www.alexander.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Alexander says \u201ctext messages, yes; conversations, no\u201d\r\n***\r\n\u201cThis legislation is about avoiding something nobody wants: nearly 2 million passengers a day, hurtling through space, trapped in 17-inch-wide seats, yapping their innermost thoughts.\u201d \u2013 Lamar Alexander\u00a0\r\nWASHINGTON, Dec. 12 \u2013 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today introduced legislation to prohibit cell phone conversations on commercial airline flights, a possibility the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to consider today.\r\n\u201cKeeping phone conversations private on commercial flights may not be enshrined in the Constitution, but it is certainly enshrined in common sense,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cThis legislation is about avoiding something nobody wants: nearly 2 million passengers a day, hurtling through space, trapped in 17-inch-wide seats, yapping their innermost thoughts.\u201d\r\nU.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), an original cosponsor of the legislation, said: \u201cFlying on a commercial airline\u2014in a confined space, often for many hours\u2014is a unique travel experience that is, candidly, not conducive to numerous passengers talking on cell phones.\u00a0 This bill recognizes the use of cell phones to make calls during flights can be disruptive and irritating to other passengers and would prevent such communications during domestic flights.\u00a0 The bill, however, would not affect the ability to communicate via text and email during a flight.\u201d\r\nThe legislation, the Commercial Flight Courtesy Act, would prohibit the use of voice communication through cell phones on regularly scheduled commercial flights, after the Federal Communications Commission announced it is exploring what type of cell phone use is safe on airplanes. It would allow the use of cell phones for texting and other electronic communication, if the FCC were to approve such communications. It would also allow the use of personal electronic devices such as Kindles and iPads during flight, which the Federal Aviation Administration recently approved.\r\nThe FCC is scheduled to hold a public meeting this afternoon on a possible rule change approving the use of such technology on airplanes, a step it has acknowledged would \u201copen the door\u201d to approved cell phone conversations on flights. Alexander\u2019s legislation mirrors current regulation. It only applies to commercial airlines, not private charter flights or foreign carriers, unless the latter is flying between U.S. airports. It exempts federal air marshals and flight crews for official business.\r\nAlexander continued, \u201cWhen you stop and think about what we hear now in airport lobbies \u2013 babbling about last night\u2019s love life, next week\u2019s schedule, arguments with spouses \u2013 it\u2019s not hard to see why the FCC shouldn\u2019t allow cell phone conversations on airplanes. The solution is simple: text messages, yes; conversations, no.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=3d6f677f-94cd-46f3-8b44-0a7da6dba385"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7522560190409422, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}