Jul 31, 2011
Representative Dan Benishek Voted to End the Essential Air Service Program That Funds Ford Airport
Representative Dan Benishek (MI-01) voted to end the Essential Air Service program, which supports rural airports across his district. This week, however, he praised Ford Airport as a “lifeline” even though he voted to terminate the very funds that keep Ford Airport and other rural Michigan airports afloat. Benishek’s support for terminating EAS helped cause the FAA shutdown, which casts even more uncertainty into the future of Ford and other airports in the district.
“Why would Representative Dan Benishek vote to end the Essential Air Service program when it supports rural airports across his district?” asked Haley Morris of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “If rural airports are a lifeline across Michigan, then Representative Benishek voted to sever them plain and simple. It is deeply troubling that Representative Dan Benishek would put Michigan small towns at risk in the name of his extreme agenda in Washington.”
Background
Voted to Eliminate the Essential Air Service. Benishek voted for the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 which would phase out Essential Air service and terminate the program on October 1, 2013 in all states except Alaska and Hawaii [HR 658, Vote #220 , 4/01/11; USA Today, 3/30/11]
Called Air Service in the U.P. a “Lifeline.” Yesterday, Benishek told Upper Michigan’s Source that air service is a “lifeline” while promising to “continue to press Delta and other air carriers about the opportunities for growth in Northern Michigan.” Recently, Delta announced it would be ending its service at Ford Airport in Iron Mountain. According to Upper Michigan’s Source, “Ford Airport depends on Essential Air Service funding from the federal government.” [Upper Michigan’s Source, 7/26/11]
Federal Aviation Administration Has Remained Shut Down Since Friday. Since the House and Senate failed to reach an agreement on funding, the FAA has been shut down causing 4,000 furloughed workers, unpaid grant funding and halted construction projects. [Petoskey News, 7/27/11]
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