WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today released a letter urging Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to focus on improving aviation congestion on behalf of the traveling public instead of moving forward with a proposal to allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to auction slots at airports in the New York City area. Senator Hutchison was joined on the letter to Secretary Peters by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee, Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

“Given the current nature of the U.S. airline industry, we believe it is not the time to move forward with untested, unproven, and unauthorized policy,” said Senator Hutchison.  “The Department should focus its resources on alleviating congestion at all airports by improving the FAA’s operations, increasing airport capacity, and modernizing the U.S. air transportation system.  It is my hope that the Commerce Committee will be allowed time to closely examine this proposal before any action is taken.  Congress has never provided the FAA explicit authority to dispose of property for distributing slots at airports.”

A copy of the letter from Senators Hutchison, Rockefeller, Inouye and Stevens is attached.

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