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Lawmakers press to open Reagan National©New York Times
© St. Petersburg Times, WASHINGTON -- As pressure builds to re-open Ronald Reagan National Airport, the only airport still out of service, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Thursday he would back a plan to place federal marshals on every flight from the airport as a requirement to reopen. The decision to close the airport has battered the area's economy, prompted thousands of layoffs and angered just about every lawmaker on Capitol Hill, most of whom regularly use Reagan National to get home. And while President Bush visited O'Hare International Airport Thursday to encourage fearful passengers to fly, many here in Washington wondered why the message did not apply to them and their local airport. They are quick to point out that none of the commandeered jets left from or was scheduled to arrive at Reagan National and that two other airports -- Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International -- are within minutes by air of Washington. Both are operating without unique restrictions. "On the one hand he's telling people to fly, but on the other hand security people are telling him he can't open National Airport because it's not safe," said Rep. James Moran, D-Va., whose district is home to the airport. "By the same token, he's saying we need to get back to normalcy and stimulate the economy, and we've closed down an airport that has so far resulted in the loss of 10,000 jobs." Reagan National was ordered closed by the National Security Council because it is 3 miles from the White House. Mineta said he would be willing to place armed guards on all flights at National Airport if that is what it takes to get it running. But he acknowledged that the decision is not his to make. "I believe it should be reopened," he told Reuters News Services before he boarded a commercial flight from Baltimore-Washington airport to join Bush in Chicago. "We are working on it, but it is in the hands of the National Security Council and the U.S. Secret Service." After more than two weeks of limbo, lawmakers, local officials and the governors of Maryland and Virginia are getting restless. The administration has said little about what it intends to do, only that Bush is aware of the "harmful impact" the closing is having, as White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Wednesday. But, he added, security concerns remain. The airport normally employs 10,000 workers, but 4,000 have applied for unemployment. US Airways, which maintains a hub at Reagan National, has cut 11,000 jobs nationwide.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
