House Defeats GOP Anti-Murtha Airport Effort
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House Thursday rejected a Republican effort to withhold federal funds for a controversial airport that bears the name of Democratic Rep. John Murtha in Johnstown, Pa.
Republicans tried to rub out federal dollars for the airport on a procedural vote during debate on a $70 billion Federal Aviation Administration funding measure. The effort failed 263-154. Several vulnerable, freshmen Democrats sided with Republicans on the vote.
Fiscally-conscious lawmakers ask why the airport should receive such a hefty federal endowment when few commercial flights land there each week. However, the airport is used extensively by the military.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Murtha has directed $200 million in federal money to fund the facility over the past few decades. Republicans and some Democrats have derided the airport as the "Airport to Nowhere." That's a take on the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark requested by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska).
Murtha received much criticism for his earmarking and defense of the airport. The FBI is probing defense contractors that are associated with some of Murtha's earmark requests.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn) spoke out against the Republican effort to defund the Murtha airport, calling it "an assault on essential air service to rural America."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republicans in the House chamber chortled and laughed, raising Oberstar's ire.
"If those on the other side are laughing now, I wonder what they'll say when an amendment comes to ban essential air service in their area. I wonder if they'll be laughing now. This is a harsh amendment," Oberstar said.
In a statement, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he was "disappointed that House Democrats are forcing taxpayers to keep their wallets open to pay for this and other wasteful pork-barrel projects."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Murtha didn't name the airport, formally called the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. Cambria County, Pennsylvania commissioners attached the congressman's name to the title of the facility.