[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 105 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 1998

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a very important 
issue in my district, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
  Just yesterday, the United States House of Representatives passed the 
Transportation Appropriations bill, an important piece of legislation 
for this country. The Honorable Chairman of the Transportation 
Appropriations Committee, Mr. Wolf, has crafted a bipartisan piece of 
legislation that will serve this country's transportation needs for the 
coming fiscal year.
  Accompanying this bill is the House Committee Report (105-648). I 
would like to clarify something in the Record that is contained in this 
report as it relates to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
  Cleveland Hopkins is vitally important to Northeast Ohio. It not only 
connects Northeast Ohio with the rest of the world, it provides jobs 
and economic opportunity for the people who live there. Cleveland 
Hopkins is also within the city limits, and is surrounded by 
residential communities that are being asked to adjust to the growing 
demands being placed on the airport.
  Because the airport is very close to reaching overcapacity, the city 
of Cleveland has embarked upon a plan to expand the capacity of the 
airport and to improve it so that it may meet the needs of the 21st 
century. Improving the airport and expanding its capacity in the least 
intrusive manner to surrounding communities is something that I 
wholeheartedly support.
  However, there is language in the Transportation Appropriations 
Committee Report that needs to be clarified. The language states on 
page 78, ``The Committee urges the FAA administrator to give priority 
consideration to a request for discretionary funding for site and 
engineering studies for the proposed runway expansion at the Cleveland 
Hopkins International Airport.
  The case to expand a specific runway has not yet been made, and 
singling out this one aspect of the proposed expansion could be 
misleading. Expanding the capacity of the airport to handle increased 
air traffic would not necessarily be advanced by merely lengthening one 
runway.
  It is my understanding that it was not the intention of the Committee 
to determine particular airport improvements. The Committee wishes to 
urge the FAA to give priority to necessary studies of airport 
improvements at Cleveland Hopkins. Such studies might include a wide 
range of possible projects. All legitimate proposals for expanding the 
airport deserve equal consideration, as well as scrutiny by the FAA, 
air traffic controllers, local officials from the affected communities, 
residents, and my Congressional office.
  To this end, I intend to work with the House-Senate Transportation 
Appropriation Conference Committee to clarify that the House Committee 
did not mean to specify a runway expansion, but to instruct the FAA to 
make Cleveland Hopkins airport improvements generally a priority for 
engineering and site studies.
  Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to clarify the 
Committee's intention for the Record.

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