Update: Proposed cut to Essential Air Service voted down in US House

WASHINGTON (WLUC) - Update: An amendment in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill that would eliminate the Essential Air Service (EAS) failed in the United States House Thursday.

In a press release, Republican Rep. Jack Bergman said that the amendment failed by a vote of 49-386.

Wednesday, Rep. Bergman spoke on the House floor in opposition to the amendment and implored his colleagues to vote against this amendment designed to eliminate the Essential Air Service (EAS), the critical funding which sustains rural American airports.

Bergman released the following statement:

“The Essential Air Service (EAS) is just that, essential. Without this critical program, Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula would be cut off from the enormous benefits of being a part of the National Air Transportation System. This week, the House voted on an amendment to shut down the EAS, cutting off this critical lifeline from the thousands of Americans who rely on EAS flights. In Michigan’s First District alone, we have seven of the nine EAS eligible airports. I have worked to educate my colleagues on the importance of EAS to rural communities like ours and thankfully the amendment was defeated, 49-386. I will continue to advocate for commonsense programs, like EAS, that bring opportunities and options to Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.”

Last published: Jul 20, 2023 1:11:34 PM

An amendment in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill that is going through the U.S. House could be devastating to most Upper Peninsula commercial airports.

H.R. 3935 would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and related aviation programs for the next five years.

An amendment proposed by Republican Rep. Tom McClintock of California would eliminate the Essential Air Service (EAS). The EAS program was put into place to guarantee that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before airline deregulation maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service. This is generally accomplished by federally subsidizing two round trips a day with 30- to 50-seat aircraft.

A slash to the EAS would be crippling to most U.P. commercial airports. Marquette County’s Sawyer International Airport is the only commercial airport in the U.P. that does not get EAS funding.

Republican Rep. Jack Bergman says this amendment “takes aim squarely at rural America and specifically, Michigan’s First District.” He spoke on the House floor Wednesday.

In a press release, Bergman additionally noted that while there are positives included in the bill, his opposition to the FAA reauthorization is mostly with what was not included in the legislation. One such example included his amendment, which had broad bipartisan support and would have simply allowed for a debate and vote on a critically important topic regarding unnecessary pilot retirement age changes in the bill.

“The powers that be pulled out all the stops to silence dissent and shield the American public from a debate they know they can’t win,” Bergman stated. “For these reasons, I will vote no on H.R. 3935.”

The U.S. House is expected to vote on the bill later this week.

TV6 will continue to closely follow this developing story.

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