Washington, DC – In a major victory for the people of Northern New Jersey, Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ9) today got the House Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member, to approve a provision he authored that prevents the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from going forth with its proposal to lift the 100,000 pound weight limit at Teterboro Airport. Rothman worked closely with Republican and Democratic committee members to ensure that the clause preventing the FAA’s plan from being enacted at Teterboro Airport was included in the Transportation Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2004. The committee approved the bill unanimously. “With a unanimous voice, the House Appropriations Committee told the FAA today that large jetliners, such as the Boeing 737, have no place at Teterboro,” Rothman said. “My provision means that the FAA in Fiscal Year 2004, which begins on October 1, 2003, can’t make the Port Authority change its weight restrictions or rules. It means that the FAA can’t punish the Port Authority for doing the right thing and standing by its longstanding and reasonable weight limits and policies.” “This is a great victory for the people of northern New Jersey and I would guess an unexpected defeat for the Boeing Corporation,” Rothman said. “Northern New Jersey residents should not be subjected to the 171,000 pound, 737 Boeing Business Jet – a behemoth of an aircraft – taking off and landing in their backyards. Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK are designed for those kinds of aircraft, not Teterboro. This measure ensures that the quality of life for Northern New Jersey residents is not compromised as a result of the Boeing Company wheeling and dealing with the FAA and Bush Administration to overturn Teterboro’s 36 year-old, 100,000 pound weight limit. Area residents will know that they can enjoy an afternoon outside with their family or read a book in a local park without the thunderous roar and toxic fumes of a 737 or even larger aircraft flying overhead on its way to Teterboro Airport.” The bill containing Rothman’s provision will be considered by the full House when Congress reconvenes in September. Since the provision is part of one of the 13 annual appropriations bills that Congress is required to pass in order to fund the federal government, the overall bill will be enacted. This means that the Rothman provision has an excellent chance of becoming law unless the Boeing Corporation or its allies are successful at some point in stripping the provision from the bill. The Senate then needs to approve its own Transportation Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2004. Rothman will work with U.S. Senators Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to see that his Teterboro provision is included in the Senate bill.
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