Kenny Marchant

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of a law which has fostered spectacular growth and vitality in my district and throughout all of north Texas. That law, which has become known as the Wright amendment, was passed in 1979 to settle for all time a controversy on how best to achieve robust competitive airline competition in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It has worked and continues to work beyond all expectations, but the benefits it has brought can easily be undone. Given all of the turmoil in the airline industry and the limited time for Congress to get important business done, any serious effort to change the current law would be a misuse of our time and resources. Since the issue has been in the news lately and Members have been approached with very simplistic answers on the surface, compelling arguments about the Wright amendment, I want to put some facts into the Record. In the late 1960s, the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, at the urgings of the Civil Aeronautics Board, agreed to end the fragmentation of air service in the region and invest in a single regional airport that could serve all of the people in the area. At the time, everyone knew a new airport would not work unless there was an absolute commitment by all parties to consolidate all the service from the various local airports in the area into the new facility, which became known as the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The two communities and all carriers offering interstate service from the existing airports agreed on this course of action. However, one carrier that at that time offered only interstate service from Dallas' downtown airport, Love Field, refused to do so. This led to a long and protracted and bitter legal battle between the communities and this carrier, which ultimately resulted in a carefully negotiated compromise. This compromise encompassed into Federal law to preserve it was exactly constructed to reflect the intent of the communities as well as the desires of the interstate carrier. Reluctantly, the civic parties agreed to allow the one carrier that had refused to move to the DFW Airport to operate out of Love Field to and from points within Texas or to its four contiguous States. That carrier agreed to the Wright amendment as a way to settle the issue for all time. Last week, the highly respected global aviation consulting firm, Simat, Helliesen & Eichner, released an omnibus report which predicts devastating consequences to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport if the Wright amendment were to be repealed. I will submit the report for the Record; but it predicts if the Wright amendment is repealed, DFW could lose 204 flights a day, 21 million passengers annually, and slash DFW passenger traffic back to levels seen 20 years ago. Mr. Speaker, health in the airline industry is dependent on healthy competition between airlines. In contrast, competition between very closely located airports can be destructive. The communities of Dallas and Fort Worth understood this when they agreed to end, or restrict, commercial air traffic to their local airports. DFW was built to accommodate any and all carriers, and over the years it has attracted both network and low-cost carriers. Just as importantly, by limiting traffic at the neighboring airports, DFW was able to compete among airports and now is the fifth largest airport. Think of it this way. Almost everyone would agree it would improve competition to have 30 airlines competing against each other, but no one would suggest it would be healthy to have 30 airports competing against each other. Just like two major shopping centers will die if located next door to each other, two airports located only 12 miles apart, as are in Dallas, Love Field and DFW will provide two weaker airports. Let us be perfectly clear. Restriction at Meachem and Love Fields were not put in place to give DFW a jump start. No one said, We will invest billions of dollars in a huge international airport and domestic hub airport until it is successful and then we will undercut the very source of its success by reopening the airports that we closed to make it so. That does not make good business sense. Mr. Speaker, DFW is what it is today because it is the only airport in the metroplex that passengers can use to fly anywhere in the world. Moreover, it has not achieved the success it has by being anticompetitive. On the contrary, it has always welcomed all comers. DFW currently has gates available and is seeking new airlines. Love Field was never meant to be a competitor to DFW. In fact, DFW would probably have never been built and the tens of thousands of jobs and the billions of dollars of economic stimulus it has given Dallas- Fort Worth would never have been realized if Love Field had remained an unrestricted airport. The best proof of that statement is evidenced by the 21 empty gates currently vacant at DFW. Despite any attractive incentives, DFW has been unable to attract new, low-cost tenants because of the discussion of repealing the Wright amendment.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Justice Priscilla Owen, Presidential nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Since her nomination in May of 2001, the Democrats have continuously threatened to use the filibuster to block a vote on her nomination, and she is unable to be confirmed. All judicial nominees deserve a fair up- or-down vote on the Senate floor. This judicial obstruction is unprecedented. I personally know Justice Priscilla Owen. Her record on the Supreme Court of Texas is outstanding and she deserves the opportunity to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Justice Owen has had broad bipartisan support, including the support of three former Democratic judges on the Supreme Court and a bipartisan group of 15 past Presidents of the State Bar of Texas. If the Senate employs the constitutional option, it will not be changing the rules; it will simply be restoring the precedent and a 200-year tradition. Justice Owen deserves a fair up-or-down vote, as do all of President Bush's judicial nominees.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend Given Kachepa, a Grapevine High School senior, for being named one of America's top ten youth volunteers by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. He was selected from a field of over 20,000 youth volunteers from across the country. Given is an advocate for victims of human trafficking. An orphan at age 9 in his native Zambia, he was recruited two years later to sing in a boy's choir on an overseas tour. He was promised a salary and education, and that the money raised from the tour would be used to build schools in Zambia. None of these promises, however, were met. For over a year and a half, Given and his fellow choir members performed six or seven times a day, sometimes with little food. After being saved by U.S. immigration authorities, Given used his own experience to help with the widespread human trafficking problem. He has educated the public through the media, and spoken about human trafficking at conferences, along with local and national law enforcement agencies. I am proud to recognize Given for this high honor; he is well deserving of the award. The future of America is in good hands with leaders like him.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the celebration of Small Business Week, I would like to recognize Mr. James Berry, President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, in Grand Prairie, Texas, for receiving the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence. This award was given by the Small Business Administration. It honors large contractors that have excelled in utilizing small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. Mr. Berry and the entire company deserve this high merit for their support of small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. They are vital to innovation and major job providers for American workers. In 2003, 99.7 percent of all businesses in the United States were small firms. Congratulations to Mr. Berry and the Lockheed Martin team in Grand Prairie for receiving this high distinction. I thank them for recognizing the importance of small businesses, and establishing an outstanding small business subcontracting program. I wish Mr. Berry and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control continued success.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 504) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4960 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Ray Charles Post Office Building''.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 504.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at the moment and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 504. This legislation designates this post office in Los Angeles as the Ray Charles Post Office Building to celebrate the life of the great American entertainer. All 53 members of the California congressional delegation have cosponsored this legislation to comply with the committee policy on post office-naming bills. Mr. Speaker, Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia, in 1930. He was raised in Florida, and completely lost his sight by age 7. Amazingly, he overcame his lack of sight and began to study piano, saxophone, and clarinet at a school for the blind and deaf. He ultimately became a traveling musician and shortened his name to Ray Charles to differentiate himself from the famous boxer of that time, Ray Robinson. During his career that spanned more than 5 decades, Ray Charles won an outstanding 12 Grammy Awards, including the best R&B recording three consecutive years from 1961 through 1963: ``Hit the Road Jack,'' ``I Can't Stop Loving You,'' and ``Busted.'' He was unquestionably one of the world's most successful musicians of the 20th century. Mr. Speaker, it is important for all of us to understand how groundbreaking his music fusion of gospel, blues, pop, country, and jazz really was. His ingenuity paved the way for other giants in music history, including Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Ray Charles passed away in Beverly Hills, California, on June 10, 2004. This post office will serve as an important memorial to Ray Charles's legacy and influence on American popular music. I want to thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson), my colleague on the committee, for her work on H.R. 504. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1001) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 South Heatherwilde Boulevard in Pflugerville, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Byron W. Norwood Post Office Building''.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1072) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 151 West End Street in Goliad, Texas, as the ``Judge Emilio Vargas Post Office Building''.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this meaningful legislation honors Emilio Vargas, a committed social advocate in south Texas. H.R. 1072 designates the postal facility in Goliad, Texas, as the Judge Emilio Vargas Post Office Building. I am pleased to join with all Members of my home State of Texas as a cosponsor of H.R. 1072. Judge Vargas worked at the Department of Human Services as a caseworker directly helping citizens in need for 28 years. He also served as a trustee on the Goliad Independent School District Board, and for the past 10 years he has been a justice of the peace for Goliad County, which in Texas is an elected position in which one earns the title ``judge.'' I know the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) feels strongly about the contributions of Judge Vargas, and I congratulate my colleague for advancing H.R. 1072 on the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), the sponsor of House Resolution 184, to close. (Mr. ISTOOK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, how much time does our side have remaining?

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the State of Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), my distinguished colleague. The gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) was the Oklahoma Secretary of State on April 19, 1995. (Mr. COLE of Oklahoma asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this important resolution recognizes the National Week of Hope in commemoration of the 10th-year anniversary of the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), the distinguished sponsor of House Resolution 184.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 184.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 184) recognizing a National Week of Hope in commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City.

Mr. MARCHANT

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1001 is an important piece of legislation that names this Pflugerville, Texas, Post Office as the Sergeant Byron W. Norwood Post Office Building. I am proud the House is considering this bill today because Sergeant Byron Norwood is, without question, an American hero. Mr. Speaker, Byron Norwood grew up in Pflugerville, a small town outside of Austin, and enjoyed playing the trumpet in the high school jazz band and marching band. He was a star in several high school theater productions. After graduation, he joined the Marines, following in the footsteps of both of his grandfathers who served with the Marine Corps during World War II. He ultimately became a sergeant assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton, California. Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Norwood bravely served two tours of duty in Iraq. During his second tour he was tragically killed by a sniper in the Anbar province of Iraq on November 13 of 2004. In the trying days that followed, Byron's mother, Janet Norwood, wrote a letter to President Bush to say how dedicated her son was to his country. Mrs. Norwood said in the letter that in spite all that the family had been through, they still supported the war. Afterwards, the White House invited Mr. and Mrs. Norwood to the State of the Union speech. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), for introducing this legislation and seeing it to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 1001 that honors Sergeant Byron Norwood. I urge all Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.