[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10734-S10735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Specter, Mr. Nelson of 
        Nebraska, Mr. Harkin and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 1793. A bill to extend certain apportionments to primary airports; 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator 
Specter to introduce legislation that is important to a number of rural 
communities located in over half of the States. Our legislation will 
ensure that over 50 mostly rural airports will not see an 85 percent 
reduction in their annual grant from the Federal Aviation 
Administration's Airport Improvement Program.
  I think all Senators are well aware of the wide-ranging impact the 
tragic events of September 11, 2001, have had throughout our economy. 
One of the hardest hit industries has been commercial aviation, which 
is continuing to feel the effects in terms of higher costs and loss of 
passengers. Nowhere has the decline in commercial aviation been felt 
more than in small and rural communities.
  All across America, small communities already face growing hurdles to 
promoting their economic growth and development. Today, many rural 
areas lack access to interstate or even four-lane highways, railroads 
or broadband telecommunications. Business development in rural areas 
frequently depends on the quality of their airports and the

[[Page S10735]]

availability of scheduled air service. For small communities, airports 
often provide the critical link to the national and international 
transportation system.
  Ensuring small communities have the resources they need to preserve 
this vital airport infrastructure in rural areas is the purpose of our 
bill.
  Under current formulae for distributing Federal funds, every airport 
that has more than 10,000 annual passenger boardings is guaranteed an 
entitlement grant from the FAA's AIP of at least $1 million per year. 
These are called ``primary'' airports. Airports with less than 10,000 
annual boardings receive $150,000. Unfortunately, there are a handful 
of primary airports that have had their annual boardings drop below 
10,000 as a result of the effects of 9/11. One of these airports is the 
Roswell International Air Center in my State of New Mexico.
  For the passed two years, Congress has permitted these so called 
``virtual primary'' airports to retain their full $1 million 
entitlement, even though their annual boardings had dropped below the 
10,000 threshold as a direct result of 9/11. This two-year waiver was 
included in section 146 of the Vision 100 aviation reauthorization act. 
(P.L. 108-176).
  Unfortunately, based on preliminary boarding data for 2004, there are 
still about 50 primary airports that have not yet regained their 
previous boarding levels. As a result, these airports will face a cut 
in their annual entitlement in FY2006 from $1 million to $150,000.
  I ask unanimous consent that a list of these likely virtual primary 
airports for fiscal year 2006 be printed in the Record.

               Likely Virtual Primary Airports for FY2006

       Alaska--Fort Yukon, Gustavus, Haines, Iliamna, Kodiak, 
     Metlakatla, Skagway, Merrill Field* and Manokotak*.
       California--Imperial, Santa Rosa, Visalia.
       Connecticut--Groton-New London.
       Florida--Naples.
       Georgia--Athens.
       Iowa--Burlington, Fort Dodge.
       Illinois--Belleville, Quincy.
       Indiana--Lafayette.
       Kansas--Garden City, Salina.
       Kentucky--Owensboro.
       Maine--Rockland*.
       Massachusetts--Worcester.
       Michigan--Alpena, Escanaba.
       Minnesota--Grand Rapids, Hibbing.
       Montana--Sidney-Richland*.
       North Carolina--Hickory, Pinehurst/Southern Pines.
       Nebraska--Grand Island, Kearney, Scottsbluff.
       New Hampshire--Lebanon.
       New Mexico--Roswell.
       Ohio--Youngstown/Warren.
       Oregon--Pendleton.
       Pennsylvania--Altoona, Bradford, Brookville, Lancaster, and 
     Reading*.
       Rhode Island--Block Island, Westerly.
       Tennessee--Jackson.
       Utah--Cedar City.
       Virginia--Weyers Cave.
       Washington--Anacortes, Moses Lake, and Port Angeles*.
       West Virginia--Clarksburg*.
       Wyoming--Laramie.
       *These primary airports where above 10,000 boardings in 
     CY2003 but could lose their $1 million AIP entitlement based 
     on the preliminary CY2004 enplanements.
       List compiled from preliminary FAA data.

  The good news is a number of airports that were virtual primary 
airports in fiscal year 2005 have seen their annual boardings increase 
back above 10,000 per year. However, for this handful of airports that 
were still below 10,000 boardings in 2004, I believe it is appropriate 
that they have another year to regain their status as primary airports 
and not suffer the loss of 85 percent of their fiscal year 2006 annual 
entitlement grant for airport improvement projects.
  Thus, our bill provides a simple one year extension of the existing 
law to preserve the airports' current level of federal funding and give 
these mostly rural communities a little breathing room while the 
airline industry recovers from the effects of 9/11.
  I ask unanimous consent that a letter and resolution from the City of 
Roswell and the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material; were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                              City of Roswell,

                                  Roswell, NM, September 21, 2005.
     Hon. Jeff Bingaman,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Bingaman: The purpose of this correspondence 
     is to, on behalf of the City of Roswell, request your 
     assistance on an extremely important matter. Your time, as 
     well as that of your staff, particularly Dan Alpert, has been 
     and will continue to be most appreciated.
       Attached is a resolution passed by our City Council on 
     Thursday, September 8th pertaining to the pending loss of our 
     annual $1 mil entitlement funds. Unless there is action 
     involving extending the passenger boarding enplanement waiver 
     as suggested, the City will only be eligible for $150,000 to 
     use for airport improvements beginning with the FY 06 Budget. 
     As far as we know we are the only Airport affected in the 
     State of New Mexico, a fact that may have been mentioned to 
     you by Councilor Judy Stubbs when she visited with you 
     recently.
       Our request of you is that if you can influence, beginning 
     with the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee, an 
     amendment to the FY 06 Budget to extend the enplanement 
     waiver through the FY 07 Budget, we would be most grateful. 
     Suffice is to say, the loss of almost $900,000 each year will 
     be devastating to our Airport and our economy
       As is the case every time we approach you for assistance, 
     we are grateful for your concern and whatever assistance you 
     feel you can provide us.
       Thank you again.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Bill B. Owen,
     Mayor.
                                  ____


                          Resolution No. 05-27


      A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AN EXTENSION FOR PASSENGER BOARDING 
                              ENPLANEMENTS

       Whereas, annual Federal entitlements under the Airport 
     Improvemnt Program are based on passenger boarding; and
       Whereas, in the wake of 9/11, a number of airports, 
     including the Roswell International Air Center, saw a 
     dramatic drop in passenger boardings; and
       Whereas, current Federal legislation provides airports that 
     have over 10,000 annual boardings $1 million per year, and 
     airports with boardings less than 10,000 annually $150,000; 
     and
       Whereas, in November 2001, the President signed P.L. 107-71 
     which allowed airports that had suffered declines in 
     passenger boardings to use the greater of either the 2000 or 
     2001 boardings in calculating their FY2003 entitlements; and
       Whereas, the Roswell International Air Center is one of 
     over 50 airports in the United States that benefitted from 
     P.L. 107-71, retaining its annual $1 million entitlement, 
     even when passenger boardings dropped below 10,000; and
       Whereas, Congress extended the exception for two additional 
     years, FY2004 and FY2005 (P.L. 108-176, sec. 146); and
       Whereas, Roswell International Air Center enplanements are 
     increasing and coming close to 1O,OOO and Now, Therefore be 
     it
       Resolved, The City of Roswell seeks the continued support 
     from the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to persuade the 
     Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee to extend the 
     exception through FY2007 and encourages the citizens of 
     Roswell and Eastern New Mexico to support the local air 
     service. Further be it
       Resolved by the governing body of the City of RosweIl, New 
     Mexico, the Roswell City Council, to support whatever means 
     and energy is necessary to extend the passenger boarding 
     enplanement waiver through FY2007.
                                  ____


                                S. 1793

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF APPORTIONMENTS.

       Section 47114(c)(1)(F) of title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``and 2005'' each place it appears in the 
     heading and inserting ``, 2005, and 2006''.
                                 ______