Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. We have been down this road before, and yet, again, we are witnessing attempts to remove rural America's connectivity to the national air transportation system. Those who would look to scrap the Essential Air Service program often fail to acknowledge reforms that have been put in place to modernize and streamline the program. This reauthorization does the same. Mr. Chairman, for too long, rural America has received the scraps of our suburban and urban counterparts. Last year, the Airport Improvement Program, another program, not the Essential Air Service, issued more than $264 million in grants to 95 airports in 31 States. Among them, $2 million was issued for Sacramento International Airport in Sacramento, California, to purchase five zero-emission electric shuttle buses to take passengers between the airport parking lots and the terminal buildings. Mr. Chairman, these types of projects are nice, but the fact is that $2 million is about equal to the amount a small rural airport requires for commercial service for 2 years. Let's get serious here. Striking the Essential Air Service program is bad for rural America. It is time to stop the witch hunt on rural America. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR.…”