Angie Craig: “before us is H.R. 2081, which is the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and, of course, that is the…”

“before us is H.R. 2081, which is the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and, of course, that is the authority tied directly to America's airlines and the body of public policy under which they operate. It comes at a time when all of us are frustrated by what was once a great American industry, and that, of course, is the airline industry. We set the records, we established the world standards in all respects to aviation, and now our industry is in great trouble. It is in great trouble for a lot of reasons, but one of the underlying reasons today is the substantial cost in aviation fuel that all of these large carriers must acquire on a daily basis and the inability to simply pass it through to the consumer. Of course, that is exactly what is going on in nearly every industry in America today. We are experiencing an energy shock to our pocketbook--whether it be my private pocketbook or an Idahoan's private pocketbook or a corporate private pocketbook--in a way that leaves us with no ability to assume it, to consume it in a way that does not damage our choices on staying alive as a major air carrier or our choice as a consumer where we put our money--with what few discretionary dollars we have left. In that context, it is so easy to blame somebody else for a problem that largely this Congress has observed, talked about, and denied action on for nearly 20 years.”