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Lawmaker to airlines: Cut troops a break

A Pennsylvania congressman wants airlines to cut fares for service members on leave.

Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., is sponsoring what he calls the Homecoming Help for Our Heroes Act, which not only would order reduced fares but also ease rules for getting standby seats.

Murphy said active-duty service members often get time off on short notice, so they don’t have much flexibility in their schedule or time to shop around for the cheapest fares — so they end up with expensive tickets and often lengthy delays trying to get home.

Congress has been trying to prod the airlines to give service members a break, passing resolutions in 2003 and again earlier this year that asked, but did not require, favorable treatment for the military.

Murphy said asking isn’t enough, so his bill, HR 6446, would require discounts and more flexibility.

“Congress has already asked the airlines to find ways to help our returning troops,” Murphy said in a statement. “With this legislation, Congress will require it. After all our men and women in uniform sacrifice for the good of our nation, they must not be charged excessive prices or forced to wait for days to get home to their families.”

The bill, introduced Wednesday, was referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees the airline industry.

To have a chance of passage, Murphy will need a lot of support from other lawmakers. So far, he has only one cosponsor, fellow Pennsylvanian Rep. Jason Altmire, a Democrat.