FAA Reauthorization Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer this amendment that would prohibit naming airports, Federal programs, and other projects under the FAA's jurisdiction after sitting Members of Congress. Although such instances are rare, this practice further erodes the public trust in this institution and its Members.

Recent press reports from the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport highlight this problem. The airport received $800,000 from the stimulus package to upgrade its alternative runway. Whether or not that is a wise use of money is not the question this amendment is intended to address. Rather, the problem is that the perception of the American people is that this little airport is getting special treatment because it is named after Congressman Murtha.

This perception feeds the belief that Members of Congress are arrogant and out of touch with the American people that we represent. This is a problem that exists in other areas of the Federal Government as well. There are courthouses, such as the ones named after Senator THAD COCHRAN of Mississippi, and then there is the Charlie Rangel Center for Public Service. There are also various roads and bridges across the country named after Members of Congress and everything from schools to clinics to prisons in West Virginia named for Senator Byrd.

Unlike the bill I have introduced to end this practice, this amendment is limited only to the scope of projects authorized by the underlying bill. But with this first step, we can start to correct this and hopefully begin anew to restore some of the standing that this great institution has lost with the people that it serves.

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Chairman, I share in the same spirit with Chairman Oberstar. I think it's the height of arrogance for us to name, at taxpayer expense, buildings after sitting Members of Congress, people in the Congress, currently serving, and that's what the American people resent about this institution. And I appreciate the bipartisanship you bring to this.

I would also say that President Reagan was not in office at the time of the naming, and I thought it was very fitting to have named it after President Reagan, as it would be if a Member of Congress retires from this institution and the Congress decides to name a building after a retired Member of Congress.

But it is entirely inappropriate for a Member of Congress to use taxpayer dollars to name a building after himself or herself to glorify themselves.

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