Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 24, 2007)

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Mr. FOSSELLA. I thank the gentleman for yielding and rise in strong opposition to this amendment, with much due respect to my friend and colleague from New Jersey.

And in large part it has been echoed, but let me repeat it. If anybody who was sitting on a runway, whether you are across this country, especially in LaGuardia or Kennedy, and in particular, Newark Airport, you would be stampeding this House to ensure that this redesign go through. The reason being, as has been detailed extensively, and who knows it better than the riding public, is that congestion is at all all-time high and only will get worse unless this plan is put in place.

The second, and perhaps I would, quote, in clean hands talk with respect to air noise with the people of Staten Island, that practically every plane that takes off to the south goes over Staten Island. So I can appreciate those who don't want more planes going over because the people in Staten Island suffer every day.

The preferred alternative in the plan will reduce traffic from Newark Airport from about 20 minutes to 12 minutes; will reduce air noise, as I said, over Staten Island; will reduce costs to airlines by $248 million by 2011; and a 1999 study showed that by 2010, we would hurt the U.S. economy by about another $4 billion, and the preferred alternative outlined in the plan could save our economy as much as 7 to 9 billion.

It is important and imperative that this plan go through. The riding public deserves it. Those sitting on runways now deserve it. Those waiting to get to Newark or any other airport deserve it. And I would just urge a speedy and urgent opposition to this amendment.

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