[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9654-9655]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          CARRY-ON FREEDOM ACT

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last week the International Air Transport 
Association recommended a new guideline

[[Page 9655]]

that would reduce the size of carry-on luggage. The new carry-on size 
limit is 21 percent smaller than the size currently permitted by most 
major domestic airlines.
  Eight major international carriers have already adopted the new size 
limits, and the trade association is suggesting more airlines will be 
adopting it soon. If implemented by our domestic carriers, this will 
force consumers to spend more on checked baggage fees and/or purchase 
new luggage to meet this new guideline.
  Enough is enough. Airline passengers are tired of getting squeezed by 
airlines, both physically and fiscally. The seats are smaller, the 
legroom is less, the prices are more, and the profits are more.
  That is why I introduced the Carry-on Freedom Act. The bill would 
prohibit airlines who charge for checked baggage from reducing the size 
of carry-on baggage from the current size standards and would protect 
consumers from even more cost to travel. I urge my colleagues to stand 
up for consumers and pass the Carry-on Freedom Act.

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