The Shadow
WASHINGTON (VR) – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) has filed an amendment to the GOP tax and spending ‘reconciliation’ package to ensure that any increased lease payments from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) are reinvested directly into aviation safety and security at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and across the national aviation system. Warner’s amendment also protects the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) power to negotiate long-term lease terms with MWAA, and directs the establishment of a permanent memorial honoring the victims of the January 29, 2025, mid-air collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Aviation Brigade helicopter over DCA.
“There is simply no justification for raising lease payments on our region’s airports without dedicating those funds to what should be our top priority: keeping the flying public safe,” said Sen. Warner. “This amendment ensures that any additional resources from MWAA go exactly where they belong — into safety and security upgrades, nationwide aviation improvements, and a fitting memorial to those we tragically lost earlier this year.”
Under the current lease agreement, which was negotiated with USDOT and runs through the year 2100, MWAA is required to pay the federal government a baseline of $7.5 million per year, with annual adjustments for inflation, for the use of DCA and IAD. Without public justification or analysis, the GOP reconciliation bill proposes doubling that obligation starting in 2027 and requires MWAA’s lease to be renegotiated every 10 years, in spite of the enormous complexity and number of stakeholders who are party to the lease, including USDOT, MWAA, and the governments of the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Warner amendment would allow the proposed lease increase to proceed but redirect the revenue to:
- Implement preliminary and final safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) related to the January 29 crash;
- Establish and maintain a permanent memorial for the victims of the mid-air collision; and
- Undertake projects directly related to the safety and security of DCA and IAD.
The amendment also restores USDOT’s ability to negotiate long-term leases with MWAA, a tool that had previously allowed for smart, strategic partnerships to support airport operations and infrastructure over the long term.
“This is a commonsense step to make sure that aviation policy reflects the lessons of tragedy and the needs of the traveling public,” Sen. Warner added. “I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”
The amendment is co-sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD).
