Press Releases
Representatives Thomas Massie and Earl Blumenauer Move to Eliminate Federal Cap on Passenger Facility Charge
Washington, DC,
July 17, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 17, 2019 Laura Lington (Massie) (202) 225-3465 Sean M. Ryan (Blumenauer) (202) 225-4811 Today, United States Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced H.R. 3791, the Investing in America: Rebuilding America’s Airport Infrastructure Act. This bipartisan legislation removes the federal cap on the airport passenger facility charge (PFC), giving airports more flexibility and local control to finance major construction projects. “Removing the PFC cap and allowing airports to collect more of their own revenue from users reduces airports’ dependency on federal grants and taxes,” Rep. Massie said. “This bill would let airports – not the federal government – decide what to charge customers who use their facilities so they can increase investments to improve passenger experience.” “Ask any member of the traveling public and they will agree that our nation’s airports need a serious upgrade,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer. “From delays due to inadequate gate capacity to long security lines and inefficient facilities, airports need to be able to prioritize their local needs and update their facilities for the 21st century.” Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy at Reason Foundation, said, “The PFC is a local user fee that helps airports expand and modernize their terminals, enabling more airlines to offer services there. Increased competition leads to lower air fares, which is a major benefit of locally funded airport expansion.” Airports Council International - North America released the following statement: “ACI-NA thanks Representatives Massie and Blumenauer for introducing legislation that will revolutionize the way airports do business. The ‘Investing in America: Rebuilding America’s Airport Infrastructure Act’ will remove the outdated and burdensome federal cap on local airport user fees, allowing each airport to determine its own user-fee rate based on its own unique infrastructure needs. This pro-market approach will give all airports the flexibility they need to address the nearly $130 billion worth of infrastructure needs they face over the next five years to increase capacity, enhance security, promote competition among the airlines, and improve the overall passenger experience.” FreedomWorks, Citizens Against Government Waste, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance also support this legislation. Rep. Massie has been a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since he came to Congress in 2012. Rep. Earl Blumenauer served on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure from the time he was elected to Congress in 1996 until 2007. He currently sits as a senior member on the House Committee on Ways and Means. ### |