Congressman Harris Votes for FAA Flexibility Bill to End Furloughs

Press Release

Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. voted for the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 (H.R. 1765) that would allow the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to transfer $253 million from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program to their operations account -- removing any remaining doubt that the FAA can end the furloughs announced Sunday at airports across the country and keep open the contract towers, including those in Easton and Salisbury.

"Today's vote, in addition to the announcement by the FAA earlier this month to delay the closure of the Easton and Salisbury control towers until June 15, means there is no reason why these towers should not stay open indefinitely," said Congressman Harris.

Congressman Harris wrote Administrator of the FAA Michael Huerta recently urging him to reconsider closing the control towers at the Easton and Salisbury airports. He also applauded the announcement earlier this month to delay the closures until June 15.

"It is unfortunate that President Obama has chosen to implement these budget cuts in the most painful manner possible to make a political point. He could have instructed the agencies in question to be prepared for these cuts or worked with Congress on a plan to institute greater flexibility so people would not have to be furloughed.

"This vote demonstrates that President Obama was wrong -- these cuts could have been implemented in a way that doesn't raise taxes, cost jobs, or threaten the American people's livelihood. It's too bad this President is more worried about scoring political points than doing what's right."

Remember -- Congressman Harris found during a House Appropriations hearing on March 5th that White House claims saying Maryland children would not get vaccinated because of sequestration turned out to be suspect because President Obama's own budget would cut the program in question three times more than sequestration.

Source