Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Chair, I rise to oppose this amendment, which would risk flight safety and increase delays at National Airport, in the strongest terms possible. I will not, cannot support this bill if this amendment is adopted.

This amendment violates every Congressional courtesy we try to extend to one another as colleagues who know our districts best. One of my first local government appointments was to the Fairfax County Airports Advisory Committee. I subsequently spent 14 years in local government helping maintain the delicate regional balance between the 2 major airports in Northern Virginia, National Airport and Dulles International Airport. I also led the effort to connect our nation's capital to Dulles via rail with the recently completed Silver Line extension of the DC Metro.

So let me introduce my colleagues to National Airport. It has the busiest runway in America. The busiest in America. The airport is designed to serve 15 million passengers annually. Last year, it served 24 million. That is 9 million passengers or 60 percent over capacity. The airport has the 3rd highest flight cancellation rate in the country, and 1 in every 5 flights is delayed by more than an hour.

The FAA has certified that more flights would make those delays worse. This amendment, which would force even more flights out of National Airport, is reckless.

The amendment, if adopted, would increase delays, exacerbate pilot and flight crew exhaustion, and risk the safety of flights in and out of National Airport.

I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment.

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