[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 78 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             END GRIDLOCK AT OUR NATION'S CRITICAL AIRPORTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, recently there has been much said and 
written about the possibility of new runways at Chicago O'Hare 
International Airport. Some might think new runways are a new idea. 
They are not.
  In fact, in 1991, the Chicago Delay Task Force recommended that new 
runways be added to O'Hare in order to reduce delays and improve 
efficiency. The final report of the Chicago Delay Task Force reads that 
new O'Hare runways ``represent the greatest opportunity to reduce 
delays in Chicago, particularly during bad weather conditions.''
  Unfortunately, this recommendation was ignored because the Governor 
at the time was opposed to new runways at O'Hare. Fast forward a decade 
to 2001. Delays are once again on the rise at O'Hare. Once again the 
Chicago Delay Task Force has been convened, and representatives from 
the Department of Aviation, the FAA, and the airport users will study 
O'Hare Airport to determine what can be done to most effectively reduce 
delays.
  No one will be surprised when the task force once again determines 
that adding runways are the most efficient way to improve capacity and 
end delays at O'Hare. Jane Garvey, the administrator of the FAA, 
testified that, while the FAA's ongoing air traffic control initiatives 
will increase capacity, the initiatives will increase it only by a very 
small amount compared to what the increase would be if a new runway or 
two were added at O'Hare.
  Additional runways are needed not only at O'Hare but throughout our 
national aviation system. New runways are the key to ending delays and 
congestion and adding to our capacity.
  Additional runways are especially critical at O'Hare. Chicago is and 
always has been the Nation's transportation hub. Therefore, the 
congestion and delays that plague O'Hare also plague the rest of our 
national aviation system. Delays at O'Hare ripple throughout the 
system, earning O'Hare the undesirable designation as a choke point in 
our national aviation system. If O'Hare remains a choke point, it 
threatens the reliability and efficiency of the entire United States 
aviation system.
  The fate of new runways at O'Hare rests with Governor George Ryan. 
Unfortunately, despite Governor Ryan's excellent record in terms of 
transportation investment, the Governor is politically hamstrung in 
what he can do regarding additional runways at O'Hare. As the U.S. 
representative for residents living near Midway Airport, I know that 
quality-of-life issues in communities surrounding the airport are very 
important. The City of Chicago Department of Aviation has been quick to 
address these important quality-of-life issues. In fact, the City of 
Chicago has spent over $320 million at O'Hare alone on noise-mitigation 
efforts. Yet despite these mitigation efforts, some of the airport's 
neighbors still seek to constrain the growth of O'Hare. Unfortunately, 
this group has the attention of their political leaders in the State 
legislature as well as the Governor.
  George Ryan has offered to review plans for new runways; but local 
politics, I believe, prevent the Governor from ever seriously 
considering new runways at O'Hare. For months I have been working 
quietly behind the scenes with all of the major parties involved in 
moving new runways at O'Hare forward. It is clear that local politics 
will prevent new runways from being added at O'Hare. Of course, local 
concerns must be addressed; but a powerful few cannot continue to 
derail future development of O'Hare International Airport, the heart 
and soul of our national aviation system.
  Therefore, a national solution is needed. For this reason I am 
introducing today legislation that will preempt certain State laws and 
will elevate the discussion to build new runways at O'Hare to the 
Federal level. O'Hare needs new runways to remain a vital and 
competitive airport. Nothing is going to change at O'Hare unless the 
Federal Government gets involved. An act to end gridlock at our 
Nation's critical airports allows the Federal Government to do just 
that.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this very vital 
legislation. This is the only way that we will end delays, the only way 
that we will end congestion, and the only way that we will add capacity 
to the United States aviation system.

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