John Mica: “Mr. Chairman, I do have some questions about this amendment. I think we are going to probably acquiesce to the…”

“Mr. Chairman, I do have some questions about this amendment. I think we are going to probably acquiesce to the amendment, but Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are unique airports. They are the only federally owned commercial passenger airports in the country. They were federally chartered and are not subject to the oversight, as I understand it, of the Governor of Virginia. This amendment gives the Secretary of Transportation permanent authority to provide grants to the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority. By doing so, it removes in some ways, Congress' responsibility and ability to make periodic reviews of the airport authority's operations. This is a unique situation. We owe it to our Nation's taxpayers to fulfill our oversight responsibilities, and sometimes Congress needs to be reminded legislatively to do so. This amendment will change that dramatically. I have great reservations about this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to look at this amendment.”