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Harry Reid Admits He’s a Terrorist Hijacker of FAA Funding

Calling Joe Biden's counterterrorism unit

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  August 2nd, 2011 at 04:04 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Update: Despite admitting that his demands are extreme, Harry Reid refused to approve the stopgap funding measure for the FAA, thereby ensuring a partial shutdown until September.

Throughout the debt ceiling fight, Harry Reid purported to be the only true compromiser, while painting the Tea Party as extreme hostage takers.  However, unlike most hostage takers, tea partiers made no demands of government for their own personal gain.  They simply wanted to preclude their children and grandchildren from incurring permanent indebtedness.  Harry Reid, on the other hand, has shown us the true meaning of hostage taking.  And he is now admitting it.

While the public was focused on the potential government shutdown over the debt ceiling debate, Harry Reid quietly forced a partial shutdown of the FAA.  For months, Reid has blocked a long-term extension of the FAA reauthorization, while forcing Congress to pass reckless short-term measures that lacked much-needed reform.

The last extension expired July 23, but Harry Reid has refused to consider the House-passed extension through September.  The House bill cut a subsidy program to three rural airports, where the cost of subsidized flights was hopelessly uneconomical.  One of those airports, White Pine County Airport in Ely, Nevada, enjoys a subsidy to the tune of $3,720 per passenger!  [Read more about it here]  Yet, Reid refused to relinquish his selfish pork, causing a partial shutdown of the FAA and the furloughing of 4,000 employees.  Additionally, the shutdown has cost the government millions in lost revenue from taxes on airline tickets.  So much for a balanced approach on revenue.

Airport in Ely, Nevada

Over the past two weeks, Reid and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller have engaged in the predictable art of projection.  They blamed Republicans for being extreme and unwilling to compromise, even though they were the ones who passed all the bills.  The FAA reauthorization fight was virtually a microcosm of the broader debt ceiling fight.

Well, facing the prospect of laying off thousands of workers for the entire summer recess, Senator Reid has finally had an epiphany.  It looks like the good senator will be passing the House extension by unanimous consent:

“The Essential Air Service is a program that I believe in, but I also believe that $3,500 per passenger is a little extreme, Reid told reporters. “And I do my best to protect the state, but sometimes you have to be reasonable.”

He said that not extending the FAA authorization would do serious damage to his state.

“I have said that we have 80,000 jobs at least on the line,” Reid said. “In Nevada, as an example, we have a new airport tower there where they started the construction about two weeks ago. All those people have been laid off. That’s a huge project. I don’t know, but it’s nearly a $100 million project.” (emphasis added)

It’s good to know that Harry Reid is finally cognizant of the extent of his extremism.  He also knows that ultimately not every government shutdown will be blamed on the GOP.  One day, Republicans will realize that as well.

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COMMENTS

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  • http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

    That matters far, far more than some pork. If that stayed in, then it’s a victory. If the “compromise” was to strip that out, then it’s a hollow victory.

    Also, will Obama sign?

    • http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

      The House provision that repeals a 2010 National Mediation Board rule that made it easier for airline and railway employees to unionize is in the long term extension bill. The Dems are still fighting that tooth and nail.

      In order to prevent a shutdown over the impasse, House Republicans passed the 21st short-term extension. The bill doesn’t have the union provision, but it has the limitations on the Essential Air Service. Obama would have to sigh the short-term bill or face backlash.

      The long-term bill will be yet another dog fight.

      • http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

        Otherwise, we will see endless short-term extensions until the next elections, at a minimum. In the meanwhile, the NMB continues on unchecked, and imperial Presidency rolls along towards making Congress irrelevant.

        • http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

          That’s the big question. It’s funny how this is really a microcosm of everything else going on in Congress.

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        • ag8tor

          They may take a stand but they will eventually fold since they have no leadership. They have no Reid type leader who will push it through despite what the people want. This house is as worthless as the senate. Reid is a worthless piece of crap that should have been defeated in 2010 but again the GOP put up a candidate who couldn’t win. Much like McCain. Reid is just another example of the self-absorbed lifers that will stay at the public trough as long as possible. Like his co-horts Pelosi, Franks, Dodd and the senate Rinos he will turn the country into the next Greece if left unchecked. They are all good examples of mutant DNA!

  • carolina

    All of the public media has said “rural airports”……. which leaves one to speculate which/how many/whose airport is affected. The fact that only THREE (3) rural airports were at risk for losing their subsidy should have been made clear.
    We need to do a much better job of presenting the facts to people.

    • http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

      is another provision of the GOP bill that affects 10 more airports, but the Dems eventually accepted that, while fighting over the aforementioned provision.

      • carolina

        I wish they had named names = REID!

      • carolina

        I wish they had named names = REID!

  • carolina

    All of the public media has said “rural airports”……. which leaves one to speculate which/how many/whose airport is affected. The fact that only THREE (3) rural airports were at risk for losing their subsidy should have been made clear.
    We need to do a much better job of presenting the facts to people.

  • mirac777

    FACT: Six days after the FAA shutdown, Senate Democrat leaders continue to block a vote on a bipartisan-passed House FAA extension and have failed three times in the last week to pass their own extension.

    FACT: Senate leaders have chosen to protect political pork and outrageous subsidies of nearly $4,000 per ticket on the backs of 4,000 furloughed FAA employees.

    FACT: The House extension contains Senate-passed language reforming the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program, including cutting any ticket subsidies in excess of $1,000 per ticket, which affects only 3 airports.

    FACT: Airline service for Ely, Nevada is subsidized an incredible $3,720 per ticket.

    FACT: Every ticket subsidy eliminated by the House-passed extension is also eliminated by the Senate?s long-term FAA bill, which it approved in February (see sections 420 and 421 of Senate bill S. 223).

    FACT: Section 420 of the Senate?s long-term FAA bill eliminates subsidies at 10 airports that are 90 miles or closer to another large or medium hub airport. The House-extension eliminates the same 10 subsidies.

    FACT: Section 421 of the Senate?s long-term FAA bill eliminates subsidies at additional airports, including the same 3 airports eliminated by the House-passed extension?s $1,000 subsidy cap.

    FACT: The House-passed extension reforms of EAS are even more limited than those contained in the Senate?s own long-term FAA bill.

    FACT: Senate leaders are now refusing to bring up this simple extension and vote on these modest taxpayer savings it already approved in February.

    FACT: Senate Democrats are also arguing that the House-passed extension is about a labor provision, but the fact is there is no labor provision in the extension.

    FACT: The Senate has chosen to complain about the legislative process and its supposed need for a ?clean? extension, rather than taking up the House-passed extension which would immediately end the FAA shutdown and put people back to work.

    FACT: After 4 ? years and 20 previous extensions ? 17 of which were passed by a Democrat-controlled House, Senate and White House ? Senate and House Democrats are now arguing that they don?t like the process, but it?s doubtful that complaining about the process is comforting to the families of those 4,000 furloughed FAA employees.

    FACT: One of the previous FAA extensions, passed in 2010 under House and Senate Democrat leadership, included numerous policy provisions ? in fact, an entire aviation safety bill.

    FACT: Chairman Mica and House leaders are determined to stop the endless series of short, stopgap FAA extensions since the expiration of the previous FAA law in 2007. They are not willing to continue this irresponsible and short-sighted approach to aviation policy at the expense of completing negotiations on a much needed long-term FAA law.

    FACT: The FAA partial shutdown depletes the Airport and Airway Trust Fund by nearly $30 million per day.

    FACT: There is a simple way forward. The Senate should take up and pass the House FAA extension and send it to the President for his signature. Then hardworking people can get back to work and the House and the Senate can resume negotiations on the long-term FAA reauthorization bill.

    FACT: Chairman Mica has worked with Chairman Rockefeller and other Members of Congress to pass a responsible and long-overdue FAA reauthorization, and urges the successful and cooperative completion of that important responsibility.

    As these facts show, the House of Representatives successfully passed the FAA extension bill the week of July 22nd and submitted it to the Senate for its approval, just as it has done numerous times before without incident. I am disappointed that Democrats in the Senate have chosen to burden taxpayers with further wasteful spending on the backs of faultless FAA employees and look forward to an expedited resolution to this matter.
    _____________________________________________________________________

    • funwithknives

      that Progressives have alienated by inaction,malfeasance or just plain ol’ politics. Gulf State Oil workers and associated industries, Basically the entire state of South Carolina,Workers in”The Private Jet” industry, Manufacturers and employees, not in “Barry’s PlayBook”,NAM and all it’s members, are just ones I can think of ,offhand. Oh and anyone who might start a company and sees what THE NLRB can become.
      This is surely a curious way of *Building Concensus*. Barry already has all the “Friends” he can get and needs more in the long run. S’not gonna happen,if this is a Policy,now is it?
      “P”-ing off Federal employees, airport construction contractors, their families and the resuting spin-off of listeners and friends justs Frosts This Cake. THANKS for the Assist, Harry! This guy is a LEADER? Speaks for itself, does it not?

  • twinspinevie2

    i don’t know how reid ever got elected to anything. he looks like a snake. what a weird looking guy. big money went into action on that guy.

  • bryankdonnelly

    It is utterly absurd to maintain a costly subsidy like the FAA’s EAS so that people who choose to live in remote areas may get cheap airline tickets. There in only one reason we have such a monstrosity on the books in the first place. Every state has two US Senators. Thus Senator Claghorn’s state may include two large national-international airports in metro areas, but also has a few in such places as Pancake Flap and Pellagra; utterly uneconomical for airline service. But he may get a few precious votes from those two towns. So both get subsidized air service.

    If you choose to live in Podunk you should expect some inconveniences; like driving a few hours to catch a plane. Let me give you an example. My brother lives in Huntsville Alabama; great place, loves it, no plans to move. But Huntsville has a total metro population of perhaps a couple hundred thousand and can’t sustain airline service. So if he wants an inexpensive ticket he has to drive; 2 hours to Nashville, 2 hours to Birmingham, or 2.5 hours to Atlanta. Big deal! Besides, in the digital internet age, business travel will is rapidly becoming less and less necessary. Teleconferencing is saving us billions. Sell your hotel or airline stock now!