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

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment that would prevent the FAA from moving forward with plans to redesign the Phoenix metroplex airspace. Let me explain why it is important to my city.

Imagine living in a quiet neighborhood, then waking up one morning to discover dozen of planes suddenly have been roaring over your head. Next, imagine the frustration of running a business, raising a family, or even trying to get a good night's sleep when your windows are constantly rattling because of the noise of passing aircraft.

Finally, imagine that all of this discomfort was both needless and avoidable, that it was caused by out-of-touch bureaucrats who rerouted major flight paths over your community without bothering to consult the people that live there.

Unfortunately, for thousands of Phoenix residents, this is not a hypothetical situation. In September of last year, the FAA instituted new flight paths for the aircraft departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, without any notice for anybody, without any notice to our neighbors. For too many members of my community, these changes have meant more noise and a lower quality of life.

Disturbingly, the FAA altered these flight paths without seeking local input, failing to consult with the community members or civic leaders in the Phoenix area. Not only that, but the FAA also failed to provide a report that was mandated by the previous Congress on Sky Harbor on last year's FAA bill about how it planned to do and change with the patterns. It is now more than 2 months overdue, with no response yet from the FAA.

Mr. Chairman, this isn't how our government is supposed to run, and this is not how the FAA is supposed to operate.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source