[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CHARLES W. STENHOLM

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2625) to 
     redesignate Washington National Airport as ``Ronald Reagan 
     Washington National Airport''

  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Chairman, I regretfully rise in opposition to this 
legislation which will rename Washington National Airport for former 
President Reagan. I rise regretfully because I do believe that 
President Reagan certainly should be honored, but I do not believe that 
this is the proper way to honor our former president.
  Washington National Airport is named after one of our founding 
fathers and first president, George Washington. It is not appropriate 
to change a name which honors our first president in order to honor 
another. President Washington lived just down the road from the airport 
at Mount Vernon, and it has been said here today that the tract of land 
on which Washington National Airport currently sits was actually owned 
by his family.
  Additionally, this proposed name change is not consistent with 
President Reagan's philosophies on local control and federal intrusion. 
President Reagan was a champion of shifting control from the federal 
government to state and local authorities where decisions are best 
made. The local governments of Arlington County and the City of 
Alexandria oppose this change; certainly the federal government should 
not usurp the wishes of the local governments to honor a man who worked 
to ensure local representation and control of many entities, including 
Washington National Airport.
  I hope that we in Congress will find a more appropriate way to honor 
President Reagan. I personally have a great deal of admiration for 
President Reagan and respect his public service to our nation. In fact, 
I doubt there is a singe Democrat in Congress who supported Ronald 
Reagan as much as I did during his presidency. I intend to visit with 
my constituents to come up with ways to honor President Reagan, and I 
hope that we come up with a better way to honor President Reagan and 
his legacy.

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