Sam Gibbons: “since the evil terrorist act of September 11, thousands of Nevadans have been laid off; and they now face an uncertain…”

“since the evil terrorist act of September 11, thousands of Nevadans have been laid off; and they now face an uncertain future, just as other Americans employed in the tourism industry do. Like many tourist destinations, visitors to Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and other Nevada destinations depend heavily upon convenient and safe airline travel. The administration has gone to great lengths to ensure that airline travel today is safer than ever before, and this Congress has provided over $15 billion in emergency funds to the airline industry. Yet, our tourism economy continues to suffer. I believe that this downturn is temporary; and for the first time since the terrorist attacks, now many hotels are beginning to report more reservations than they are cancellations. Madam Speaker, supporting our tourism industry is a crucial component of our national well-being, just as is our war against terrorism. We cannot allow terrorists to scare the American public into staying home. Madam Speaker, I applaud the elected officials who, like myself, have been traveling our Nation's airways. I hope that the American public will follow our example and return to the skies and to the fun and entertaining vacation sites in Nevada and across the United States.”