Hands up! Looks like a Senate hold-up
I’ve heard of Senators working hard to take care of their constituents, but Max Bacus seems to be going above and beyond the call of duty. And I’m afraid that what is good for Montana is not good for the rest of the country. Come to think about it, it may not be good for Montana in the long run either.
After attaching amendments to legislation to make the Delta/Northwest merger more difficult and to delay it until next year when Baucus figures Democrats might be in control, Delta decided to announce a new flight from Atlanta to Billings, Mont.
According to ATW Daily News,
US Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), concerned that his state will lose air service if the Delta Air Lines-Northwest Airlines merger is approved, last week attempted to attach amendments to nonaviation legislation aimed at making approval more difficult, a legislative tactic that ultimately failed but that could be attempted again by lawmakers opposed to the merger, Politico.com reported.
US Dept. of Justice has jurisdiction for approving corporate mergers, but Baucus last week attempted to attach amendments to flood insurance legislation that would have extended DOJ’s formal merger review process from 30 days to one year for airline tie-ups. Another proposed amendment would have required that any proposed airline merger trigger lengthy government studies on its effect on a range of issues, including air service to rural communities.
The amendments would not have precluded a merger since Congress does not have jurisdiction… DL and NWA last week sent a public letter to Baucus in which they promised to maintain current levels of service to Montana and add service with the introduction of Atlanta-Billings flights next year. Baucus did not comment on the proposed amendments but issued a statement praising the planned new service, adding that he will “keep a watchful eye on this merger if it goes through and we’ll hold NWA-Delta CEOs feet to the fire to make sure they follow through on their promises.”
Will Baucus keep the heat on Delta and Northwest, or has he been bought off? The timing of the Delta announcement seems a tad bit suspect.
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