John W. Olver: “Mr. Speaker, this bill today aids the airline companies that were devastated by the terrorism of September 11: United…”

“Mr. Speaker, this bill today aids the airline companies that were devastated by the terrorism of September 11: United, American, Delta, Northwest, and U.S. Air, and the others who on average have announced a 20 to 25 percent reduction in employees, and cutting 25 percent, on average, of routes. By all accounts, they need the aid. But the airline industry is not solely these largest of the airline corporations. This bill provides no parallel aid for the nearly 100,000 direct employees of those companies who are losing their jobs, and this bill does not even contemplate the spin-off losses of jobs in the travel/tourism industry, the hotels and resorts, the restaurants, and travel services. That is a severe inequity. Beyond that, this bill does absolutely nothing to assure the American public that they can travel safely in the new world that has followed September 11.”