Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman. I'm here to talk about the abandonment of essential air service in rural America. My problem with this bill, among others, is that this legislation turns its back on rural America. The FAA budget is about providing a transportation system that is going to serve all of America, all of our taxpayers in urban and in rural areas. And this bill is an assault on the $200 million a year that had been available for essential air services in rural America. How is it that rural America gets left behind? We have needs, we have companies, we have taxpayers, and we have travelers. And we can have that commitment to rural America be continued, not abandoned. Let me give an example. The Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport serves southern Vermont. That county is rural, 63,000 people. There's no interstate access, Mr. Speaker. To help ensure the three daily flights to and from Boston Logan International Airport, the air services are subsidized at $800,000 a year. It's a good and efficient use of taxpayer money. That airport has the fifth-lowest EAS subsidy in the country, but it's had the greatest number of passenger enplanements since 1985. This relatively small investment has spurred private investment in the region. We've got a GE plant there. We've got the local hospital. It resulted in $25 million in economic impact for the region, and in the past year bookings have risen by 25 percent. So the question I have is, yes, kick the tires on any program.…”