Date: 2006-09-29
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of Senate bill 3661. The bill passed by the Senate earlier today mirrors House bill 6228 previously scheduled for consideration today. At the outset. I want to extend my thanks to Chairman YOUNG and Ranking Member OBERSTAM. Subcommittee Chairman MICA and Ranking Member COSTELLO for their cooperation and support throughout this process. Each of you. in addition to the committee staff. has been extremely helpful in accommodating the requests of myself and north Texas colleagues. and I am truly appreciative. The road leading to this point has been long and arduous. but I am delighted that the bill before us today represents a bipartisan piece of sound legislation. The bills fundamental objective is to open the north Texas market to more competition in air transportation. not to further restrict it. despite the claims of some. This bill phases out the Wright amendment completely in 8 years. offers immediate thruticketing in and out of Love Field. saving consumers an estimated $259 million annually. It will generate over $2 billion annually in spending and related economic activity for north Texas and for many communities outside the -current Wright amendment parameter. It opens Love Field in a responsible way. ensuring resolution of Love Fieldarea residents concerns over noise. traffic. and safety for the area. It protects safety by prohibiting the legislation from taking effect until the Federal Aviation Administration notifies Congress that the additional aviation operations in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Love Field airspace expected as a result of this Act can be conducted safely and without adverse effect on airspace use. It protects competition by preserving the FAAs authority to enforce airport rules that obligate Love Field to make its facilities available on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis to new entrant carriers. and stimulates competition and travel commerce throughout the United States. This bill is important to north Texas. the aviation community at large. and particularly my constituents. as Dallas Love Field Airport is located within the heart of my congressional district. Two months ago. the city of Dallas. the city of Fort Worth. Southwest Airlines. American Airlines. and Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport reached a compromise to resolve longstanding issues regarding the Wright amendment. As many of you know. the threedecadeold legislation imposes longhaul flight restrictions to and from Dallas Love Field Airport. The agreement marks an important milestone. as efforts to repeal the restrictions over the past decades have served as a major point of contention among north Texas stakeholders and the aviation community at large. . To have all the aforementioned entities in solidarity behind this compromise that ultimately lifts longhaul flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field is nothing short of amazing. I would like to impress the following upon my colleagues: It is important to note that the Wright amendment was a direct result of a communitycrafted compromise between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Texas. regarding two north Texas airports. Thirty years ago. north Texas. upon the recommendation of the Civil Aeronautics Board. decided.that DFW Airport would be the regions primary air travel* investment. This decision is captured in the 1968 Regional Airport Concurrent Bond Ordinance. which I will enter into the RECORD. In lieu of closing Love Field. the Wright amendment was crafted to protect the interests of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport as well as those of Southwest Airlines. As the agreement said. that commercial traffic would close at the time that D/FW opened. The balance between our two airports as a result of the Wright amendment has served this region well. These airports are eight miles apart. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field Airport are vital components to the overall health and success of the regional economy. Respectively. they rank third and fiftyfifth nationally in terms of total traffic enplanements. As such. I have felt quite strongly that any policy decision regarding the Wright amendment that could have implications for future aviation in north Texas should not be carried out without the input of the localities directly involved. and I have asked over and over again for the last 20 years to- have the local entities to come to an agreement. � My position has not always gone over well within certain segments of my constituency. but. for the record. I would like to reiterate that I am. not anticompetitive. I am not antilower fares. I would be stupid to do that. nor am I antifree enterprise. I am. however. pro principle. And it has always been my belief that the Wright amendment exists as aprincipled agreement between these two cities. Each time the subject of repeal. of the Wright amendment has arisen. it has placed the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. 27 miles apart. on guard against each other because it violates the agreement. Over the past decades. this issue has created much grief. litigation. and oftentimes flatout distrust among the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. This type of back and forth over the past 30 years has not been healthy for north Texas. as we have many pressing challenges that require us to work together in good faith if we are to be successful as a region. Mr. Speaker. I support the. compromise. The compromise outlined within Senate Bill 3661 requires give and take of -all vested stakeholders. But. most importantly. Mr. Speaker. the measure represents a unified local consensus of which I am most proud. Further. many homeowners and constituent groups that live and work within the Love Field area also support this compromise. As I close. I want to commend thecities of Dallas and Fort Worth for coming to the table and acting in good faith to bring forth a compromise that I hope will allow us to once and for all bring an end to one of aviations most storied standoffs. Is the compromise perfect? No. But I do feel it represents one of the best chances we as a region have to finally bring resolution to a longstanding dispute. I want to urge my colleagues to join me in voting "yes" on this bill. Congressional leaders have long urged the cities of Fort Worth and Dallas to come together and work toward a local compromise. This not only was instructed by two Secretaries of Transportation. the last two under the last two Presidents. but others as well to resolve the longstanding and divisive controversy over the Wright amendment. The communities have responded. and they are deserving of this bodys support.