Passaic Today

In Ways and Means hearing, Republicans make unvetted, last-minute addition to airport funding bill to help GOP leadership member Stefanik

Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), New Jersey’s only member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, on June 7 excoriated Republicans’ last-minute attempt to inject poison pill provisions into the reauthorization of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.

Just 36 hours before June 7th’s markup of the fund’s reauthorization, Committee Republicans introduced a provision that would benefit the district of Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik that would further spread Customs and Border Protection (CBP) dangerously thin resources. In response, Congressman Pascrell offered an amendment to strike the questionable provisions which was blocked by Republicans on a party line vote.

“I oppose Republicans’ last minute poison pill that is tantamount to an earmark for some select airports. My amendment would eliminate this controversial provision until our Committee has had a chance to study the issue further,” said Congressman Pascrell. “Our Committee should operate under regular order, as it did from 2018 until January of this year. We’re supposed to hold hearings first to analyze a subject before marking up and reporting legislation. Instead, Republicans are now forcing us to vote on a bill that would serve as a massive carve-out for a member of their party and affect agency funding without any understanding of the policy.”

Specifically, the Republican poison pill provision is intended to designate certain airports as ports of entry, which includes Plattsburgh International Airport (Plattsburgh, NY). Designating specific airports as ports of entry would reduce CBP funding and could put airports at risk of losing CBP support. Republicans have yet to explain why these airports require such a designation, nor have they provided enough time for the Committee to adequately study the issue.

Original source can be found here