Trent Lott: “certainly I always enjoy working with Senator Dorgan on these issues. I think he has a legitimate point. He does note…”

“certainly I always enjoy working with Senator Dorgan on these issues. I think he has a legitimate point. He does note that we need a fund to make sure these security fees go for the purpose they were intended. But he does think, at least in this instance because of the security aspect, we should waive the local requirement. It should also be noted that, in fact, local communities, particularly with bigger airports, are probably not going to get or could not get a cost share, and, even if they did in some ways, it would be passed on to the airlines, therefore undermining a lot of what we are trying to do now. We are trying to get the priorities set where the people who are getting certain parts of the security should be the ones who pay for it, and we shouldn't always try to find a way to pass it off to the airlines. Sometimes it is a Federal responsibility. In other instances, other people--I think also local governments--should have some part of this pie. But we agreed for a variety of reasons to accept Senator Dorgan's amendment. But I want colleagues to know and the American people to know the Bingaman amendment does the same thing but in a different category. I think, in fact, it is even worse.…”