language be taken out, and then house transportation committee chairman, john mica, introduced a version that would strip federal subsidies to 13 rural airports that depend on that funding. including airports that just happen to be in the home states of senate majority leader harry reid in nevada, senate transportation committee, jay rockefeller in west virginia, and max baucus in montana, all three are, of course, democrats. according to the associated press, mica acknowledges that he inserted the airport language into the extension bill partly as a means to send the senate a message that we want this finally resolved. instead, thousands of public and private sector workers are now unemployed, small town airports are suffering, and big airports aren't getting any safer. all because republicans who want