[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 31, 1992]
[Pages 2122-2123]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the Airport and Airway Safety, Capacity, Noise 
Improvement, and Intermodal Transportation Act of 1992
October 31, 1992

    Today I am signing into law H.R. 6168, the ``Airport and Airway 
Safety, Capacity, Noise Improvement, and Intermodal Transportation Act 
of 1992.''
    This legislation maintains the flow of capital to our Nation's 
infrastructure, ensuring the preeminent position of American aviation. 
Airport grants funding alone will provide more than 75,000 jobs to the 
economy in this fiscal year.
    I have instructed the Secretary of Transportation to expedite the 
review and approval of projects funded by this legislation. We are 
prepared to put these dollars to work quickly in communities across 
America. This Act and the historic Intermodal Surface Transportation 
Efficiency Act of 1991 that I signed last December together demonstrate 
my Administration's resolve to improve our Nation's transportation 
infrastructure.
    This bill will authorize substantial funding for the next 3 years to 
modernize the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control 
system. The bill also adopts several other notable aspects of our 
proposals. It increases discretionary grants for noise abatement, which 
will make better neigh-

[[Page 2123]]

bors of our airports as they grow with the economy. A small and 
successful State block grant program, shifting funds and decision-making 
for small airport development from the Federal to the State level, will 
be continued and expanded.
    Not all of our goals were achieved, but the bill is a substantial 
gain for the American people. I am disappointed, however, that the 
legislation intended to accompany ratification of the Montreal Protocols 
to the Warsaw Convention was dropped from the bill this year, but we 
will work for enactment of such legislation and ratification of the 
Protocols in the 103rd Congress.
    This is an important bill for our Nation, and I am pleased to sign 
it into law.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
October 31, 1992.

                    Note: H.R. 6168, approved October 31, was assigned 
                        Public Law No. 102-581.