| No. 48 | January 28, 1998 |
S. 1297, introduced by Senator Coverdell on October 21, 1997, was discharged from the Commerce Committee today. The bill has 27 Republican cosponsors.
NOTEWORTHY
- At press time, it was anticipated that the Senate will take up the bill on Thursday. S. 1297 is similar to the House bill, H.R. 2625, which was ordered reported by the House Transportation Committee on January 27, 1998 by a vote of 39-28. The House is expected to take up the bill early next week.
- The bill renames the Washington National Airport as the "Ronald Reagan National Airport."
- Sponsors hope to pass this legislation honoring the 40th President in time for his 87th birthday on February 6.
- In a Dear Colleague letter to House and Senate Republicans dated January 16, 1998, Senate Majority Leader Lott and House Speaker Gingrich called the bill "a vital step toward recognizing the contribution Ronald Reagan made to our great nation."
- Last November the Republican Governors' Association, under the leadership of Virginia Governor George Allen, unanimously adopted a resolution of support.
- At press time, no amendments were known.
BACKGROUNDMany airports are named after famous people, from San Diego's Lindbergh to New York's LaGuardia, Chicago's O'Hare, Washington's Dulles Airport, and Orange County's John Wayne Airport. Currently, an effort is underway to rename Los Angeles' airport after actor and World War II aviator Jimmy Stewart. And, of course, President John F. Kennedy was honored by having the nation's largest international airport named after him in 1964.
Sponsors contend no American statesman of this century deserves this honor more than former President Reagan, our nation's 40th President. The Reagan Era, fondly remembered by tens of millions of Americans, marked the turning point in America's declining fortunes after our defeat in Vietnam and the oil crisis of the 1970's.
Buoyed by the contagious optimism of the "Great Communicator," Americans reawakened to their image of themselves as a great people with a great future. The far-reaching Reagan tax cuts ignited what remains the longest post-World War II economic recovery, a sharp reversal from the "stagflation" of the high-tax, high-inflation 1970s. His restoration of America's neglected defenses, combined with his forceful and eloquent advocacy of American values against the failed ideology of communism -- epitomized by his demand in Berlin: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" -- set the stage for the collapse of the Evil Empire.
According to Russian sources, the technological challenge of the Strategic Defense Initiative envisioned by President Reagan, to defend the American people from nuclear attack, forced the Soviet regime to adopt policies like glasnost' and perestroika in a vain attempt to keep up -- and instead unleashed the social forces that brought down the system built by Lenin and Stalin. In short, his commitment to restoring the fundamental ideals of the Founding Fathers and the traditional beliefs of the American people to the helm of American national policy, at home and abroad, marks him as one of America's greatest leaders and a central world figure of the 20th century.
In light of this, it is surprising that fewer than a dozen landmarks around the country are dedicated to Ronald Reagan. Because of President Reagan's enduring legacy and the American people's continuing respect and affection for him, it is fitting that the airport of the national capital should bear his name.
BILL PROVISIONSSection 1. Redesignation.
The airport described in the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the administration of the Washington National Airport, and for other purposes", approved June 29, 1940 (54 Stat. 686), and known as the Washington National Airport, shall hereafter be known and designated as the "Ronald Reagan National Airport".
Section 2. References.
(a) In General. This section would replace references to "Washington National Airport" in existing law with "Ronald Reagan National Airport."
(b) Other References. In addition, any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Washington National Airport shall be deemed to be a reference to the "Ronald Reagan National Airport."