[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18402-18403]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          AIRLINE FEE INCREASE

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the work that has been 
done by Senator Murray and Congressman Ryan as we work towards passing 
a budget deal before the end of this year. I think the end result is 
not perfect in anyone's eyes, but what they have done is something that 
symbolized what can be achieved when two sides come together in the 
best interests for our country.
  However, there is one element of the agreement that I am raising with 
concern because my State of Hawaii has a very unique circumstance. We 
have six

[[Page 18403]]

major islands where people live with no interisland railway, no highway 
or ferry system that connects each of these islands; and people who 
commute back and forth, people who look for access to health care, have 
no option other than to fly. In some cases, this air route is an 
essential lifeline in each of these areas.
  In the past, Congress has recognized Hawaii's unique situation and 
exclusive reliance on air travel. We are concerned about the disparate 
impact of increased taxes and fees on this air travel in our State.
  Again, the budget deal is a solid step in the right direction, but we 
must ensure that the people of Hawaii, who have no options available to 
them other than to fly, are not unduly burdened with the fee increase. 
I look forward to being able to address this issue.

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