Political Quotes

“I am pleased to join my senior colleague, Senator Warner, in introducing legislation to put an end to the strangulation of the Capital region's airports. As Senator Warner just indicated, more than $200 million in airport improvements are on hold, and have been on hold since October 1, 1997, as part of an effort to strong-arm the region into accepting more flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I believe this tactic is outrageous. It is bad enough that the Congress is trying to micromanage local airports. As Governor of Virginia, I worked with my now colleague and senior partner, Senator Warner, and then-Secretary of Transportation Dole to pass this legislation in 1986 designed to get the Federal Government out of the airport management business altogether. The legislation that was enacted shifted control of the Washington airports away from the Federal Government and to a regional authority so they could effectively and efficiently manage their own airports, just like they do in every other State in the Union. Even at that time, though, I was not particularly sanguine about the prospect that the Federal Government would not be able to resist the temptation to meddle with our local airports for its own ends.”