James Oberstar: “for all the meritorious provisions of this bill dealing with national defense, there is one that has nothing to do with…”

“for all the meritorious provisions of this bill dealing with national defense, there is one that has nothing to do with national defense, and that is the provision on Peotone Airport, Illinois. The language would make it a requirement of Federal law that the governing body of South Suburban Airport in Will County, Peotone Airport, Illinois, be comprised of a majority of local residents of the county. There was an effort to stick this language in our surface transportation, SAFETEA-LU, last summer. I vigorously objected. It has nothing to do with surface transportation. It has nothing to do with the substance of that bill. So now here it reappears. And this is a total contradiction to the often professed Republican stance that the Federal Government should not tell local governments how to run their business. It is an unprecedented change in the longstanding policy of the Department of Transportation and the FAA that State and local governments determine the structure of airport organization and management and the Federal Government regulates airport safety. This is objectionable. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the provision on Peotone Airport, which was inserted into this conference report at the last minute. The amendment would make it a federal requirement that the governing body of the South Suburban (Peotone) airport in Will County, Illinois be comprised of a majority of local residents of the county.…”