I'm not so sure this would solve the problem. If they offered a R-ATP tomorrow you wouldn't see an increase in people wanted to become pilots. You would just have the current crop of aspiring pilots get a job faster, long term you still have the same problem -- no one wants to become a pilot. And who would foot this bill for a R-ATP? The training foot-print would be much larger (and much much more expensive that it is now) for the FAA to allow something like this. Even Bedford admitted in his testimony to the Congress sub-committee that training would have to be increased in exchange for lowering the hours for an ATP.

The airlines need to come up with a clear and defined career path. Until they do people won't become pilots and banks are going to be stingy with money for flight training. The investment pays off long term if you know that getting hired at XY airline ensures a clear and defined path to a major airline job. That is it, that is the only card they have left to play. Everyone likes to use the doctor analogy, the first few years might be hard but there is a guaranteed career progression path, you don't get stuck as an intern for 10 years making 25K. The airlines can delay, fight Congress and government regulation but the only carrot left is a guaranteed job at a mainline partner (as in when you walk in the door that first day of class you get a mainline number, not a flow). The first one to offer this will be head and shoulders above the competition.