Political Quotes

“while I have a great respect for Ronald Reagan and what he was able to accomplish during his tenure in the White House, I strongly disagree with the proposal to rename Washington National Airport the Ronald Reagan National Airport. Over the years, this body has named many buildings and public facilities for past presidents, including the new Ronald Reagan Trade Center in Washington, DC. However, to my knowledge we have never renamed a building, let alone an airport. To replace the name given to Washington National Airport--clearly named after the first president and founding father of our country, George Washington--with another president sets a terrible precedent. There is overwhelming local opposition to renaming Washington National Airport. To do so is contradictory to the Republican philosophy that the Federal Government should stay out of local matters. The Airport Authority, which was granted control of Washington's two airports in 1986, does not support this name change. Representative Jim Moran, who represents the district in which Washington National is located, opposes the redesignation as do many of his constituents in the airport's community. Further, the County of Arlington and the Greater Washington Board of Trade both oppose changing the name. This attempt to rename Washington National Airport does not serve Ronald Reagan well. I cannot support this bill and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against it.”