Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Chairman, I thank Representative Gallego. I appreciate that.

Let's put some facts around this. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the tenth busiest airport in the United States, but we have something that is a little unique--and think about this because this is coming to your neighborhood, too.

We actually have a downtown airport. Our city grew up around an airport, so it makes traffic patterns and the mechanics dealing with it quite unique. Also, our big county has about 4.2 million people in it. It is either the third or fourth most populous county in the United States--so a huge population. Remember, Arizona has been attributed as the most urbanized State in the country.

I have a downtown airport, and then the FAA goes and starts to change the flight patterns. When it becomes one of the biggest issues at all of our congressional offices, they are arrogant; they don't return calls. We point out the fact that they are violating last year's law, and they just grin at you and then walk out of the meetings with this sort of arrogant vanity.

This is the process we, as Members--and remember, there are seven congressional districts that touch this Phoenix metroplex area that all care about this. This is our opportunity to at least get our voices heard.

I am going to ask the chairman, please consider what is happening to 4.2 million people in the Phoenix area. The fact of the matter is there is well-established corridors where you don't have to have the effects on the neighborhoods, and we can still be moving to the NextGen if I could find someone at the FAA who would actually listen to our concerns.

Just to finish, this amendment is very straightforward. It would just simply ensure the FAA does not proceed with the redesign of the regional airspace around Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport until these issues are resolved in the local neighborhoods.

Experts tell us that if the flight paths in Phoenix are eventually altered, then the entire metroplex airspace will also need to be revisited. By asking them to slow down, consider the overall effect of what is happening now, we are actually going to do them a favor by not having them to revisit it later on.

Instead of rushing forward, the FAA should do the prudent thing and wait until our communities' concerns have been fully addressed.

In closing, let me just offer a word of warning. For those of you who think this is exclusively a Phoenix problem, just wait because your city could be next, and then you will be dealing exactly with the same FAA relationship that we are dealing with right now, someone who is not responsive to the concerns of both the local politicians, the Members of Congress, and the citizens.

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