Herb Kohl: “I am here to commend the leadership of my esteemed colleague from Kentucky, Senator Ford, chairman of the Senate…”

“I am here to commend the leadership of my esteemed colleague from Kentucky, Senator Ford, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation. As you know, Madam President, the Airport Improvement Program [AIP] is a valuable source of much-needed funds for airport construction and maintenance. Similarly, airport-air carrier fees are an important source of funding for airports. Given the demand for airport improvements and the need to ensure high quality and safety standards, it is imperative that AIP funds be distributed and that any disputes about fees be resolved. However, it would be a disservice to Northern States like Wisconsin to delay the AIP funds simply to resolve the fee dispute; we would be cutting off all sources of airport revenue for an indefinite period of time, and Wisconsin just doesn't have this time to spare. Due to short summers, Wisconsin has a limited construction season. The longer AIP funds are delayed, the more narrow that window of opportunity becomes.”