Representative Bill Lipinski's Remarks (Sponsor)

END GRIDLOCK AT OUR NATION'S CRITICAL AIRPORTS -- (House of Representatives - June 07, 2001)

[Page: H2984]  GPO's PDF

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The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, recently there has been much said and written about the possibility of new runways at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Some might think new runways are a new idea. They are not.

In fact, in 1991, the Chicago Delay Task Force recommended that new runways be added to O'Hare in order to reduce delays and improve efficiency. The final report of the Chicago Delay Task Force reads that new O'Hare runways ``represent the greatest opportunity to reduce delays in Chicago, particularly during bad weather conditions.''

Unfortunately, this recommendation was ignored because the Governor at the time was opposed to new runways at O'Hare. Fast forward a decade to 2001. Delays are once again on the rise at O'Hare. Once again the Chicago Delay Task Force has been convened, and representatives from the Department of Aviation, the FAA, and the airport users will study O'Hare Airport to determine what can be done to most effectively reduce delays.

No one will be surprised when the task force once again determines that adding runways are the most efficient way to improve capacity and end delays at O'Hare. Jane Garvey, the administrator of the FAA, testified that, while the FAA's ongoing air traffic control initiatives will increase capacity, the initiatives will increase it only by a very small amount compared to what the increase would be if a new runway or two were added at O'Hare.

Additional runways are needed not only at O'Hare but throughout our national aviation system. New runways are the key to ending delays and congestion and adding to our capacity.

Additional runways are especially critical at O'Hare. Chicago is and always has been the Nation's transportation hub. Therefore, the congestion and delays that plague O'Hare also plague the rest of our national aviation system. Delays at O'Hare ripple throughout the system, earning O'Hare the undesirable designation as a choke point in our national aviation system. If O'Hare remains a choke point, it threatens the reliability and efficiency of the entire United States aviation system.

The fate of new runways at O'Hare rests with Governor George Ryan. Unfortunately, despite Governor Ryan's excellent record in terms of transportation investment, the Governor is politically hamstrung in what he can do regarding additional runways at O'Hare. As the U.S. representative for residents living near Midway Airport, I know that quality-of-life issues in communities surrounding the airport are very important. The City of Chicago Department of Aviation has been quick to address these important quality-of-life issues. In fact, the City of Chicago has spent over $320 million at O'Hare alone on noise-mitigation efforts. Yet despite these mitigation efforts, some of the airport's neighbors still seek to constrain the growth of O'Hare. Unfortunately, this group has the attention of their political leaders in the State legislature as well as the Governor.

George Ryan has offered to review plans for new runways; but local politics, I believe, prevent the Governor from ever seriously considering new runways at O'Hare. For months I have been working quietly behind the scenes with all of the major parties involved in moving new runways at O'Hare forward. It is clear that local politics will prevent new runways from being added at O'Hare. Of course, local concerns must be addressed; but a powerful few cannot continue to derail future development of O'Hare International Airport, the heart and soul of our national aviation system.

Therefore, a national solution is needed. For this reason I am introducing today legislation that will preempt certain State laws and will elevate the discussion to build new runways at O'Hare to the Federal level. O'Hare needs new runways to remain a vital and competitive airport. Nothing is going to change at O'Hare unless the Federal Government gets involved. An act to end gridlock at our Nation's critical airports allows the Federal Government to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this very vital legislation. This is the only way that we will end delays, the only way that we will end congestion, and the only way that we will add capacity to the United States aviation system.