[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RURAL AIR SERVICE SURVIVAL ACT

                                 ______


                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 6, 1996

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
ensure the future of commercial airline service in rural America.
  When Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, it was 
understood that rural air service would deteriorate as airlines raced 
to compete in high-volume markets. Therefore, to preserve an integrated 
national air service network, Congress created Essential Air Service, a 
program to support air carriers that maintain routes in smaller, rural 
markets. For the last 15 years, EAS has continued to achieve this 
objective and has received bipartisan support in Congress.
  A link to the national air transportation system must be maintained 
for rural states to foster economic development. The fact is that 
without reliable air service, it is difficult to retain existing 
businesses and industries, and even more difficult to attract new ones. 
As farming operations continue to mechanize and consolidate, rural 
America must aggressively pursue efforts to diversify its economy.
  Key to that diversification is access to the national network of air 
transportation. With the air service supported by the EAS Program, 
small cities from North Dakota to Texas and Maine to California can 
market themselves to investors around the country and indeed around the 
world. However, if the EAS Program were discontinued and rural air 
service allowed to evaporate, it would be nearly impossible for 
communities in rural America to attract new business opportunities.
  But EAS is about more than just rural economic development. Air 
travelers around the country, whether urban or rural, benefit from an 
interconnected, national air service network. In fact, the majority of 
passengers on EAS routes are not residents of EAS cities but people 
from around the country who are able to reach rural destinations thanks 
to this program.
  In recent years, the EAS Program has been under increasing assault in 
the appropriations process. In fact, the fiscal year 1996 
Transportation Appropriations Act reduced the program by over 30 
percent, forcing airlines to sharply reduce the number of round trips 
in small cities across the country, threatening the viability of rural 
air service. The legislation I am introducing today will extract EAS 
from the annual appropriations battle and give rural communities and 
air carriers a greater degree of certainty about the future of their 
air service.
  The Rural Air Service Survival Act would transform EAS, placing the 
program on solid fiscal grounds by creating a required expenditure 
within the FAA budget. Funding for the program would be provided by a 
user fee assessed to foreign carriers that utilize U.S. air traffic 
control services. As a result, the legislation will have no impact on 
overall Federal spending. I should also point out that almost every 
major U.S. competitor nation levies similar overflight fees on foreign 
carriers.
  Senator Dorgan introduced similar legislation in the Senate which was 
adopted by unanimous vote in the Commerce Committee as an amendment to 
the FAA reform legislation. I am hopeful that this proposal will be 
enacted as part of FAA reform when the House and Senate consider this 
legislation in the coming weeks.
   Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to cosponsor and support the Rural 
Air Service Survival Act.

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