Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn are quietly urging airline and government leaders in North Texas to come up with a compromise on allowing long-haul flights at Dallas Love Field.
The Texas Republicans have delivered a clear and sober warning: Figure out a solution that is acceptable to the region, or Congress might overturn the Wright amendment in a fashion that could be distasteful to almost everyone.
"It is time for the local people who are affected to come together where we are driving this rather than being surprised every year," Ms. Hutchison said.
The senators pointed to last year's surprise – the addition of Missouri as the eighth state that can be served with interstate commercial flights from Love – as evidence that Congress is ready and willing to act.
And both lawmakers predicted that more senators would try to add their states this year.
"We are outnumbered," Mr. Cornyn said.
So far, there does not appear to be any organized process to produce a regional compromise. Local negotiations have been proposed before, though not since the landscape shifted with the Missouri move.
An effort last year to create a community consensus by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, fell flat. (Ms. Johnson later said she wanted to retain Wright and would support shutting Love to commercial traffic if the law were repealed.)
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller's proposals for some kind of compromise similarly fell on deaf ears, as did offers last summer from Mr. Cornyn that he would serve as a mediator.
Indeed, reaching any kind of deal would be difficult because the concerned parties appear to be clinging to hardened positions.
American Airlines maintains that the 1979 Wright amendment is the compromise and that Southwest Airlines should compete at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
"You need to look at the history of this issue ... and you need to talk about all the options including closing Love Field as was originally intended," said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for the Fort Worth-based carrier.
Southwest said it was willing to negotiate but had no one to talk to.
Dallas Morning News
The Texas Republicans have delivered a clear and sober warning: Figure out a solution that is acceptable to the region, or Congress might overturn the Wright amendment in a fashion that could be distasteful to almost everyone.
"It is time for the local people who are affected to come together where we are driving this rather than being surprised every year," Ms. Hutchison said.
The senators pointed to last year's surprise – the addition of Missouri as the eighth state that can be served with interstate commercial flights from Love – as evidence that Congress is ready and willing to act.
And both lawmakers predicted that more senators would try to add their states this year.
"We are outnumbered," Mr. Cornyn said.
So far, there does not appear to be any organized process to produce a regional compromise. Local negotiations have been proposed before, though not since the landscape shifted with the Missouri move.
An effort last year to create a community consensus by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, fell flat. (Ms. Johnson later said she wanted to retain Wright and would support shutting Love to commercial traffic if the law were repealed.)
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller's proposals for some kind of compromise similarly fell on deaf ears, as did offers last summer from Mr. Cornyn that he would serve as a mediator.
Indeed, reaching any kind of deal would be difficult because the concerned parties appear to be clinging to hardened positions.
American Airlines maintains that the 1979 Wright amendment is the compromise and that Southwest Airlines should compete at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
"You need to look at the history of this issue ... and you need to talk about all the options including closing Love Field as was originally intended," said Tim Wagner, a spokesman for the Fort Worth-based carrier.
Southwest said it was willing to negotiate but had no one to talk to.
Dallas Morning News
