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184    HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM

Senator JAVITS. For the insurance companies.

Senator MONRONEY (continuing). In order to, by insurance, pay doctor bills. It is from that that I came to the conclusion it might be a good idea to wave the Antitrust Act so that the joint operations of the trunklines, which had been susidized [[subsidized]] , could participate.

Senator JAVITS. The Senator is absolutely right. This will take some initiative and drive. I might say, too, for all people interested, it will have to be sustained initiative and drive, or this is surely going to end, and end, probably, badly, from the point of view of the Nation. 

Senator MONRONEY. Might I say for New York, you do need another airport. If you can keep alive and improve the helicopter service at a reasonable figure from downtown New York to Kennedy International, you have room out there to put in double the runway capacity, as you can get away from outer traffic pattern over Long Island Sound and clean up the traffic situation, and you will be able to, as Los Angeles does, handle an amazing amount of traffic by enlarging the capability and the air traffic pattern, stretching it out a little bit over the sea and a little bit over Long Island to accommodate more and more fights without unusual air traffic delays.

Senator JAVITS. That puts me in my---

Senator MONRONEY. It does link on an effective helicopter transportation system from downtown to the airport and from the airport to downtown.

Senator JAVITS. May I add, Mr. Chairman, I spoke of the municipalities. I would include the States. In the case of New York, I would definitely include the State, which has a great interest. 

Senator MONRONEY. That is very good. I do appreciate your very helpful interest., and particularly your inspiration of your cost sharing loss--sharing as in the case of the medicare bill-which your amendment pioneered. 

Senator JAVITS. Thank you so much.

Senator MONRONEY. Thank you very much Senator Javits. 

I might say that today's witness schedule is very, very heavy, unfortunately, because we were not able to run late last night to clean up the list that we had from that day.

The committee was unduly delayed in getting started yesterday afternoon due to the Chairman's necessity to be on the floor for a bill in which he had a vital interest.

I do not wish to rush the witnesses because of time pressure, but I would like to mention that in view of Thursday's light schedule for witnesses--as a matter of fact, we have only two witnesses scheduled for Thursday--that anyone wishing to switch from today to Thursday would be very welcome news to the committee, and would also aid them, perhaps, in having a little more time and a little more opportunity to present at greater length their testimony. 

Does anyone wish to change that? If you do, give your name to the committee staff and we will be glad to move you to that time schedule. I think Thursday morning would be a very appropriate time if you could stay over. 

Otherwise, we have a request from the Senator Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator, from the State of New York. He was due to open the testimony this morning, but due to his absence, we will move on to