[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11263]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 APOLOGY FOR UNWARRANTED TERM USED IN COMMITTEE HEARING LAST THURSDAY 
               CONCERNING MERGER OF UNITED AND US AIRWAYS

  (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 
5 minutes and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, last Thursday, the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing on the proposed merger 
of United Airlines and US Airways. In the course of that hearing, I 
used an inappropriate and unwarranted term to describe the status of 
the spin-off carrier DC Air that would be created if the merger were to 
be approved.
  Mr. Robert Johnson, CEO of Black Entertainment Television and 
proposed owner of DC Air, took justifiable exception of that 
characterization of the proposed new carrier. In a letter to me late 
Friday, Mr. Johnson said he is personally hurt and offended and called 
upon me to change my attitude.
  I take the well today to apologize to Mr. Johnson and to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for my careless, 
inappropriate, and offensive remark.
  Madam Speaker, in my years of Congress, I have staunchly maintained 
an attitude of support for civil rights in the United States and human 
rights abroad. I will not detail that history today except to say that, 
in the most recent civil rights issue before my committee, TEA 21, I 
championed the inclusion of language to give a fair share of Federal 
transportation accounts to disadvantaged businesses. Before coming to 
Washington, I spent 3\1/2\ years working in Haiti. During my time of 
Congress, I worked to bring economic and political stability to that 
first black republic in the world.
  I cannot let that record of 40 years be tarnished by one ill-chosen, 
inappropriate, offensive word.
  In the spirit of Psalm 51, verse 19, ``My sacrifice, O God, is a 
contrite heart. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not 
spurn.''
  Madam Speaker, it is further my responsibility and that of my 
colleagues in Congress to stay focused on the main issue here, the 
effects of this proposed merger of United Airlines and US Airways on 
air service in Washington and throughout the country.
  I have reviewed DC Air's business plan and am concerned it would be 
tied too closely to the newly merged United and not be an effective 
competitor. The concern is not based on Mr. Johnson's ownership of the 
airline, for I have great respect and appreciation for Mr. Johnson's 
abilities as a businessman and his success as an entrepreneur, but on 
the new carrier's dependence on its much larger partner. If the Justice 
Department sees fit to approve this deal, I would hope that it would 
require the merging airlines to divest additional assets to DC Air to 
make the start-up carrier a stronger, more viable competitor.
  I am opposed to the United-US Airways merger on its merits. I believe 
it will diminish competition, spur additional consolidation in the 
airline industry, and result in fewer choices and poorer service to the 
flying public. It is a bad deal for aviation and for the consumer.

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