National Heritage Areas Act of 2006

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Vermont for being here so we can discuss briefly a bill that has just by unanimous consent been passed.

The reason we are here is to help clarify some concerns which I know he has with the legislation. I appreciate his willingness to work with Senator Hutchison and myself in expediting this passage.

This bill will ultimately repeal the Wright amendment, a law designed to reflect the compromise with respects to flights coming into and out of Love Field in Dallas, TX and, therefore, operating just a few miles down the road from Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport but which has proved a hindrance to competition among airlines; and has resulted in increased fares to those who travel through DFW Airport.

The legislation before us recognizes that the city of Dallas is the entity responsible for operating Love Field, and will reduce the gates there to 20 and will allocate those gates with existing commitments and obligations, including commitments to accommodate potential new entrants.

I point out that doing so will allow the city of Dallas to maintain an appropriate number of gates to address the critically important considerations of local noise, air pollution, congestion, and safety.

I yield to the Senator from Vermont.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORNYN. I know the Senior Senator from Vermont has genuine concerns about the legislation. And while I do not take a position about the creation of an antitrust exemption, implicit or otherwise, share his view that this is a unique situation. I join him in saying that the solution is not perfect. We do not agree on many issues, but on some important ones--including intellectual property legislation--we share a commitment to promoting free market principles--and the goal of any arrangement such as this should be to maximize those principles.

The legislation contemplated here should not be a model for any future arrangement. In no way can I imagine a situation arising with a set of facts remotely similar to that created in Dallas by the passage of the Wright amendment. It is entirely unique and is precisely the reason for this legislation--legislation that moves the ball forward considerably with respect to increasing competition in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

In addition, the proposed legislation reflects a Congressional sanction for the city of Dallas to manage Love Field in a manner that it deems in the best interests of its citizens, and in accordance with a hard fought local compromise, a sanction made necessary only by the existence of the Wright amendment itself. By doing so, while not perfect by any means, I am hopeful that we will afford literally millions of citizens in north Texas and elsewhere the enormous benefits of enhanced airline competition that they have long been denied because of the Wright amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source