[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18581-18582]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       REOPENING NATIONAL AIRPORT

  Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I had a longer speech I wanted to give 
with charts and graphs and items such as that, but I want to take the 
time this evening to just register my deepest concern about the 
reopening of National Airport. This goes back a long way with me. I 
remember when however many billions of dollars was put into modernizing 
National Airport, and I have been saying for many years that it is just 
an accident waiting to happen. Quite frankly, we were very lucky when 
the Air Florida flight crashed into the bridge, in that it didn't get 
any higher and crash into downtown Georgetown or the Lincoln Memorial 
or the Jefferson Memorial.
  I remember that day as though it were yesterday, when that Air 
Florida flight took off and crashed into the 14th Street Bridge. I 
thought at that time--maybe if it had a little bit less ice on the 
wings, a little bit more power, and a few things were different--about 
where that plane might have come down. Whatever the reason for having 
National Airport located where it was in the past, I think those 
reasons have been shunted aside and overcome, right now at least, by 
what happened on September 11.
  Notwithstanding the act of the terrorists, I still believe National 
Airport is still an accident waiting to happen. The approaches--I don't 
care what anybody says--are intricate and hard to fly in the best of 
conditions. You have an airport where, as one of our briefings told 
us--I think one of the people who briefed us about National Airport 
said that if you are in a landing configuration, the time from the 
airport to the Capitol is less than 30 seconds; from there to the White 
House is less than 20 seconds, and to the Pentagon it is less than 15 
seconds. There is no way you can put a perimeter or fence around 
Washington, DC, if you have an airport such as National right downtown. 
You can't do it.
  So, therefore, I have thought for a long time that National Airport 
ought to be moved someplace further out in Virginia. It is true that we 
need an airport, but it ought to be either down 95 or out west 
someplace, outside the city, so you can put a 20-mile or so perimeter 
around this city into which no aircraft is allowed. And then you might 
have a good perimeter defense of Washington, DC.
  But I have the sneaking suspicion that National Airport is being 
opened because it is convenient--convenient to the higher-ups in 
Government. It is convenient to us. It is convenient to me; personally, 
it is convenient. I love National Airport. It is 10, 15 minutes from my 
house. Otherwise, I have to drive to BWI or Dulles. But I have to put 
aside my convenience for what I think is the greater interest of this 
country.

[[Page 18582]]

  There has been a lot of talk about how much money we put into 
National in upgrading it. It is a beautiful facility. But what would it 
cost to replace this Capitol? You could never do it. Or the White House 
or the Lincoln Memorial or the Jefferson Memorial or everything else 
that is so precious and almost sacred to our Nation?
  So I disagree that somehow, if we kept it closed, it means the 
terrorists have won. I disagree. I think National ought to be opened 
somewhere else. There is plenty of open territory outside of 
Washington, DC, to the south and to the west. There are a lot of big 
areas out in Virginia. It would still be an economic income to the 
State of Virginia and the upper Virginia area. It is needed, but it is 
not needed where it is. So I wanted to register my concern about the 
reopening of National Airport, and, quite frankly, I don't think it 
should have been there in the first place. If you could turn the clock 
back, it should have been put somewhere else. Certainly, the amount of 
money that was put into upgrading it in the last few years, while it is 
a magnificent facility, I think was unwise. I said so at the time and I 
say it again today. There are a lot of things that could be done with 
that facility there. Look at what they did with Inner Harbor at 
Baltimore. Just think what that would do for tourism with tourist 
attractions beside an airport.
  I see it from two standpoints: First, the defense of Washington, DC, 
and having an adequate perimeter of defense; and, second, because of 
the type of approaches in and out of National, there is an inherent 
danger.
  I wanted to register my concerns. I hope we will take another look at 
this issue and rebuild National Airport some other place farther 
outside the city.
  Madam President, my time has expired. I yield the floor.

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