The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a $182 billion appropriations bill for several government agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The "minibus" bill -- so dubbed by senators because it differed from an omnibus bill, which provides funding for many more agencies -- passed by a vote of 69-30, with both Alaska senators voting in favor of the bill.
The bill now moves on to the House, where its future is uncertain. But neither of Alaska's senators appear willing to ease up on their defense of one of the programs funded in part by the legislation, Essential Air Service, which received a $143 million allocation via the bill. Combined with further FAA funding, this represents a $13 million increase from the previous year.
The EAS program offers subsidies for airlines traveling to rural airports as an incentive to continue providing regular service to more than 150 remote locations around the U.S. More than 40 Alaska communities are served by the EAS program, including Cordova, Yakutat and Adak, among others.
According to Sen. Begich's press secretary, Julie Hasquet, Begich will continue to follow the progress of EAS as the bill moves to the House. "Sen. Begich is definitely pleased to see support today," Hasquet said in an email, "but the fight is not over and he will continue to work to protect this program."
Murkowski agreed that Tuesday's vote doesn't mean EAS is in the clear. "Can we kind of sit back and say we don’t need to do anymore educating?" She asked. "Absolutely not."
Essential Air Service has been a point of contention in the halls of Congress throughout 2011, with a heated battle in February that threatened to cut the program outright. Alaska's congressional delegates have spoken out on behalf of the program and its importance to a state where many travelers live off the road system and where driving to another airport -- as is the case in other places served by EAS -- simply isn't an option.
Murkowski said some in Congress simply have no idea what that's like.
"We have members who are not fully informed as to how Essential Air Service functions -- particularly in a rural state like Alaska -- and (don't) realize and appreciate why it's essential," Murkowski said. "There really is no other way in Alaska for us to get there."
Read more: http://www.alaskadispatch.com
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