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QUORUM CALL:
MADAM PRESIDENT?
THE
SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA.
MR. NELSON:ZY THAT THE QUORUM
CALL BEING DISPENSES WITH.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I
RISE TODAY IN ORDER TO SPEAK IN
SUPPORT OF THE ESSENTIAL AIR
SERVICE PROGRAM AND EXPLAIN WHY
THE PROGRAM TRULY IS ESSENTIAL,
ESPECIALLY IN RURAL STATES.
IN NEBRASKA, OUR TWO LARGEST
AIRPORTS ARE SEPARATED BY ONLY
63 MILES IN A STATE THAT COVERS
77,000 SQUARE MILES.
THIS MEANS THAT THOUSANDS OF
NEBRASKANS ARE HOURS AWAY FROM
THE LARGE OR EVEN MEDIUM-FSIZED
AIRPORT TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE A
FLIGHT.
MANY NEBRASKANS RELY ON
ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE TO KEEP
THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES
CONNECTED TO THE NATION'S
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
IN NEBRASKA, WE HAVE ESSENTIAL
AIR SERVICE AIRPORTS IN MANY
COMMUNITIES INCLUDING MY
HOMETOWN OF McCLUKE, AND
SCOTTS BLUFF.
WITHOUT AN E.A.S. PROGRAM, YOU
WOULD SEE THE MANY HOURS THAT IT
ALREADY TAKES TO GET TO ANY TYPE
OF AIR SERVICE INCREASE SLIG FOR
PEOPLE IN THOSE RURAL AREAS.
THE COST TO TRAVEL ON ONE OF
THESE FLIGHTS WOULD BECOME SO
COST-PROHIBITIVE THAT MANY WOULD
NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO
TRAVEL.
QUITE FRANKLY, THERE WOULD
PROBABLY BE MANY CASES WHERE THE
E.A.S. AIRPORTS WOULD STRUGGLE
TO EXIST.
BUT THE E.A.S. PROGRAM ISN'T
ABOUT CUTTING HOURS OFF A
DRIVER'S TIME TO MAKE A FLIGHT,
IT IS ALSO ABOUT ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS AND
JOB CREATION.
E.A.S. PROMOTES ACCESSIBILITY
AND GROWTH IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
AND SURROUNDING RURAL AREAS.
I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT
AIR SERVICE CAN HAVE ON A
COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT
EMPLOYERS.
WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR OF NEBRASKA,
ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS MANY
COMPANIES WOULD ASK IS DID YOU
WANT TO BRING A MANUFACTURING
PLANT TO TOWN WOULD BE, WHAT'S
THEIR AIR SERVICE SITUATION IN A
AREA?
BECAUSE OF THESE E.A. SE
AIRPORTS, I COULD RESPOND THAT
THE AREA PROVIDED AN AIR SERVICE
TRANSPORTATION OPTION WHICH GAVE
THESE COMMUNITIES A JOB CREATION
RECITING EDGE.
BUT DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR
IT.
THEREON WHAT OTHER NEBRASKANS
WHO HAVE BEEN IN A SIMILAR
SITUATION ARE SAYING AND THE
SAME THINGS THAT THEY'RE POINT
OUT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE
ESSENTIAL AIR PROGRAM IS TO
THEIR COMMUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, JOHN CHEESICKY
ASAID, "AS THE MAYOR AND
LIFETIME RESIDENT OF THE TOWN, I
BLEB IT IS ESSENTIAL TO IT TO
INSUPPORT THE ESSENTIAL AIR
SERVICE PROGRAM.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE ACTIVE IN
THE RECRUITMENT OF NEW BUSINESS.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE WE'VE UNIQUE
ATMOSPHERE TO OFFER TO
BUSINESSES LOOKING TO MOVE OR TO
EXPAND.
OUR COUNTY WAS RECENTLY
IDENTIFIED AS THE POOREST IN THE
STATE AND ANY LIMITATIONS PLACED
ON US BY REDUCING E.A. SE
SUPPORT WILL ONLY HINDER OUR
HOPES OF GROWTH.
" END OF HIS QUOTE.
DARWIN SKELETON, THE AIRPORT
DIRECTOR AT A REGIONAL AIRPORT
HAS SAID, "ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE
IS VERY IMPORTANT TO WESTERN
NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT AND
WESTERN NEBRASKA AS A WHOLE.
WITHOUT THIS FUNDING, WE WOULD
NOT HAVE COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE
TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE MANY BUSINESSES IN THIS
COMMUNITY THAT USE THIS AIRPORT.
VORTEX REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER,
NAME A FEW.
TWIN CENTER DEVELOPMENT, JUST TO
WHEN THEY ARE TOLD OF THIS
PLIGHT, I'M SURE YOU'LL BE
RECEIVING LETTERS OF SUPPORT
FROM MANY BUSINESSES,
ORGANIZATIONS FROM AROUND THE
AREA, SMALL, MORE RURAL MARKETS
NEED AIR SERVICE TO GROW AND
MAINTAIN CONNECTIONS WITH LARGER
HUBS, AND DOING AWAY WITH
ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE WOULD BE
SAYING TO RURAL AMERICA THAT
THEY'RE NOT VALUED AS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF AIR SERVICE IN
THE UNITED STATES."
THAT'S THE END OF HIS.
NOW, KYL PATOFF SAID, "HAVING
ACCESS TO COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE
IS CRITICAL TO THE ECONOMIC
STABILITY OF COMMUNITIES LIKE
McCOOK AND WITHOUT THIS
SERVICE, IT WOULD MAKE
DIFFICULT."
RECRUITING NEW BUSINESSES VERY
AS A STATEMENT THAT I'VE
RECENTLY HEARD IS THAT ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT COME BY BUS
OR TRAIN.
IT COMES BY AIR.
THIS STATEMENT COULD INTO NOT BE MORE
TRUE."
THAT'S THE UNDERSTAND OF HIS
QUOTE.
FINALLY, DAVE GLENN SAID, "WITH
THE ECONOMY FINALLY SHOWING
SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT, LOSS OF
E.A. SE FUNDING FOR AIRPORTS
LIKE NORTH PLATTE WOULD BE
DISASTROUS.
IT SERVES 18 HOSPITALS AND
CLINICS IN WESTERN NEBRASKA,
NORTHWEST KANSAS AND NORTHEAST
COLORADO TO.
PROVIDE THE MEDICAL CARE -- THE
MEDICARE-REQUIRED PATHOLOGIST
SERVICES WE LEIGH RELY ON USING
OUR PLANE BASE AT THE NORTH
PLATTE AIRPORT.
OUR HOSPITAL IS ALSO RECENTLY
STARTED A MEDICAL HELICOPTER
SERVICE WHICH HELPS MEET THE
NEED AND THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS
OF PATIENTS.
WITHOUT E.A. SE FUNDING, OUR
BUSINESS AND THE HEFLT OUR
CITIZENS WOULD BE NEGATIVELY
IMPACTED."
QUOTE.
THAT'S THE UNDERSTAND OF HIS
MADAM PRESIDENT, I WILL A WE
WILL AWARE THAT THE ESSENTIAL
AIR SERVICE DOES HAVE ITS CRITIC
WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
PROVIDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING
SUPPORT TO KEEP AIR SERVICE IN
RURAL AMERICA.
CERTAINLY A REVIEW OF ALL
GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED PROGRAMS TO
FIND EFFICIENCIES AND WAYS TO
MAKE A PROGRAM RUN BETTER ARE
PROPOSALS I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO
REVIEWING.
BUT TO SIMPLY TRY AND ELIMINATE
ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE PROGRAM
WHICH IS A DRIVER OF ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY IN MY STATE AND IN
OTHER STATES AS WELL, AS YOU CAN
CLEARLY SEE FROM THESE NEBRASKAN
STORIES, IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG
APPROACH.
ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE TRULY IS
AS ITS NAME WOULD IMLIERKS
ESSENTIAL TO RURAL NEBRASKA AND
RURAL AMERICA AND THAT IS WHY I
OPPOSE ANY EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE
THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
AND, MADAM CHAIR, I NOTE THE
ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
THE
CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
QUORUM CALL:
QUORUM CALL:
QUORUM CALL:
THE
MAJORITY LEADER.
IS THE SENATE IN A
QUORUM CALL.
THE
SENATE IS IN A QUORUM CALL.
I ASK THAT THAT BE
RESCINDED.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE
BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS BILL.
I -- I CONGRATULATE OUR MANAGER,
SENATOR ROCKEFELLER, WHO IS ONE
OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE
IN THE SENATE AND IS A GOOD
MANAGER.
HE'S WORKED WELL WITH KAY BAILEY
HUTCHISON, THE CO-MANAGER OF THE
BILL AND WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT
PROGRESS.
WE HAVE -- HAVE JUST A FEW
AMENDMENTS THAT THEY'RE TRYING
TO WORK A WAY TO THE END OF
THIS.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK OUT AN
AGREEMENT TO COMPLETE THIS
LEGISLATION MAYBE AS EARLY AS
TOMORROW MORNING SOMETIME.
WE ARE -- IF WE CAN -- HE WE
HAVE THE FIRST CLOTURE VOTE
TOMORROW AND WE'LL SEE WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
WE'RE -- WE'RE -- EVERYONE
SHOULD UNDERSTAND IT'S WEDNESDAY
AND TOMORROW'S THURSDAY AND I
KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE
ARRANGEMENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A
HOMEWORK PERIOD THE FOLLOWING
WEEK AND WE WANT TO GO HOME IF
AT ALL POSSIBLE LATE TOMORROW
NIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY MORNING,
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT IF THERE'S
BILL.
WORK LEFT TO BE DONE ON THIS
SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK
SOMETHING OUT SO WE CAN FINISH
TOMORROW.
IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A DOABLE
THING.
WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE LEFT.
THE -- THE WORK ON THE DIFFERENT
ISSUES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING,
BUT WE'VE SETTLED MOST
EVERYTHING HERE ON THE SENATE
FLOOR AS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THERE WILL BE NO MORE ROLL CALL
VOTES TONIGHT AND WE HOPE WE CAN
MOVE FORWARD TO COMPLETE WORK ON
THIS MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION TOMORROW.
THIS LEGISLATION IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT FOR OUR COUNTRY.
LET'S KEEP IN MIND, RATHER THAN
TALKING ABOUT PROCEDURAL ISSUE.
THIS DEALS WITH PEOPLE.
ALMOST 300,000 JOBS WILL BE
CREATED OR SAVED WITH THIS
LEGISLATION.
I REPEAT WHAT I SAID ON THIS
SENATE FLOOR ONCE BEFORE.
MCCARREN AIRPORT IN LAS VEGAS IS
THE SIXTH BUSIEST AIRPORT IN OUR
COUNTRY.
A MANAGER OF THAT AIRPORT, RANDY
WALKER, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS
BILL LAST WEEK SAID, IF THIS
PASSES WE'LL FINALLY BE ABLE TO
STOP USING WORLD WAR II
TECHNOLOGY TO LAND AND HAVE
AIRPLANES TAKE OFF.
IT'S NOT JUST MCCARREN, LAS
VEGAS, EVERY AIRPORT IN COUNTRY,
IT'S THE SAME THING, WORLD WAR
II TECHNOLOGY.
AND WE'LL -- WE'LL BE ABLE TO
HAVE A PASSENGERS BILL OF
RIGHTS.
THAT'S JUST A VERY FINE PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN YEARS
IN THE MAKING AND WE'RE TOO
CLOSE TO THE END OF THIS TO WALK
AWAY FROM IT SO WE HAVE TO
FINISH THIS BILL.
IT'S JOBS, REAL JOBS, NOT MAKE
BELIEVE JOBS.
I NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
THE CLERK
WILL CALL THE ROLL.
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