U.S. Rep. Barton Confident Wright Amendment Won't Change
Action on the Wright Amendment is heating up again in Washington, but U.S. Rep. Joe Barton said he remains confident the law will never be changed.
Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., included a clause in the transportation appropriations bill this summer that would exempt Missouri from the Wright Amendment. That bill is scheduled to hit the Senate floor next week.
The Senate aviation subcommittee is moving ahead with plans to hold a hearing on the law around the middle of November.
The Wright Amendment restricts service at Dallas Love Field to Texas and bordering states, as well as Mississippi, Alabama and Kansas.
Jennifer O'Shea, a spokeswoman for Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., who heads the subcommittee, said the legislative group is still waiting to schedule witnesses and an exact date.
Barton, R-Ennis, a staunch defender of the Wright Amendment, said Friday that he still considers the issue "dead" in Washington.
Barton, who has threatened to use his power as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to thwart attempts to repeal the law, said he doesn't foresee any hearings in the House.
"I'm very confident there will be no legislative action in the House," Barton said Friday during a meeting with the Star-Telegram's Editorial Board.
But a Southwest Airlines official said too many people are telling the Dallas-based airline that it can't stop fighting.
"We respect the views of the distinguished congressman," said Ed Stewart, a spokesman for Southwest. "But our customers, shareholders, employees and the community we serve tell us to push ahead, and we respect their views as well."
Kevin Cox, chief operating officer of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, stopped short of agreeing with Barton but said the representative is in the best position to make his stance.
"Obviously, we are very pleased with congressman Barton's prognosis," Cox said. "The strong support we have seen across North Texas continues to grow across other congressional lines as we begin to get our story out."
Gerard Arpey, chief executive of Fort Worth-based American Airlines, is interested in testifying at the hearing, which would bring the world's largest airline more into the debate. American has let D/FW officials handle most of the comments on the issue.
Southwest advocates doing away with the Wright Amendment while American and D/FW want to keep it intact.
Staff writer Dave Montgomery contributed to this report.
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