Venable partner and former Secretary of Transportation Jim Burnley was a featured speaker at the dedication of a 9-foot statue of former President Ronald Reagan at Reagan National Airport. The statue is the fourth dedicated this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Reagan’s birth. A November 2, 2011 Associated Press article featured on WTOP covered the dedication.
Noting that the Reagan Administration transferred the airport and Dulles from federal control to a regional board, Burnley said, “The change was significant because it freed the airports from the federal budget process and allowed them to issue their own bonds, fueling significant growth and modernization for them.” Acknowledging that when it comes to aviation Reagan is likely remembered more for firing striking air traffic controllers in 1981, Burnley said, “It wasn't just that he faced the illegal strike and handled it. It was the rebuilding.”
Noting that the Reagan Administration transferred the airport and Dulles from federal control to a regional board, Burnley said, “The change was significant because it freed the airports from the federal budget process and allowed them to issue their own bonds, fueling significant growth and modernization for them.” Acknowledging that when it comes to aviation Reagan is likely remembered more for firing striking air traffic controllers in 1981, Burnley said, “It wasn't just that he faced the illegal strike and handled it. It was the rebuilding.”