On the recordMarch 22, 2010
I rise today to express my strong concerns over efforts to expand service at Washington-Reagan National Airport. I would first like to remind my colleagues that this Congress passed legislation in 1986 to create the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority so that a professional group of aviation experts would manage both National and Dulles airports. The Airports Authority has done its job well: Dulles has blossomed as an international gateway to the region and National remains an efficiently run airport. I recognize the value of National Airport and the critical role it plays in serving our Nation's Capital. It is a key component of the transportation system in this region and it provides excellent access to the rest of the country for my colleagues. At the same time, the citizens of my State are the ones who are most directly affected by National's operations, and we must take a balanced approach in considering any changes at the airport. My constituents are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of any decision-- additional aircraft noise, growing traffic congestion, and airport emissions that will affect them on a daily basis. We must avoid making wholesale changes that would have an impact on the important economic balance between National, Dulles and BWI.
