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(Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 5 minutes and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, last Thursday, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing on the proposed merger of United Airlines and US Airways. In the course of that hearing, I used an inappropriate and unwarranted term to describe the status of the spin-off carrier DC Air that would be created if the merger were to be approved.
Mr. Robert Johnson, CEO of Black Entertainment Television and proposed owner of DC Air, took justifiable exception of that characterization of the proposed new carrier. In a letter to me late Friday, Mr. Johnson said he is personally hurt and offended and called upon me to change my attitude.
I take the well today to apologize to Mr. Johnson and to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for my careless, inappropriate, and offensive remark.
Madam Speaker, in my years of Congress, I have staunchly maintained an attitude of support for civil rights in the United States and human rights abroad. I will not detail that history today except to say that, in the most recent civil rights issue before my committee, TEA 21, I championed the inclusion of language to give a fair share of Federal transportation accounts to disadvantaged businesses. Before coming to Washington, I spent 3 1/2 years working in Haiti. During my time of Congress, I worked to bring economic and political stability to that first black republic in the world.
I cannot let that record of 40 years be tarnished by one ill-chosen, inappropriate, offensive word.
In the spirit of Psalm 51, verse 19, ``My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite heart. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.''
Madam Speaker, it is further my responsibility and that of my colleagues in Congress to stay focused on the main issue here, the effects of this proposed merger of United Airlines and US Airways on air service in Washington and throughout the country.
I have reviewed DC Air's business plan and am concerned it would be tied too closely to the newly merged United and not be an effective competitor. The concern is not based on Mr. Johnson's ownership of the airline, for I have great respect and appreciation for Mr. Johnson's abilities as a businessman and his success as an entrepreneur, but on the new carrier's dependence on its much larger partner. If the Justice Department sees fit to approve this deal, I would hope that it would require the merging airlines to divest additional assets to DC Air to make the start-up carrier a stronger, more viable competitor.
I am opposed to the United-US Airways merger on its merits. I believe it will diminish competition, spur additional consolidation in the airline industry, and result in fewer choices and poorer service to the flying public. It is a bad deal for aviation and for the consumer.
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