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COPYRIGHT 2005 The Dallas Morning News
Aug. 28--WASHINGTON -- As the Wright amendment debate has heated up this year, American Airlines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. targeted campaign contributions to supportive members of the Texas congressional delegation.
And their donations to political action committees, or PACs, extended to other members of the House and Senate who are in a position to influence the debate about whether to allow long-haul flights from Dallas Love Field.
This year, American has given $6,000 to Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, and $3,000 to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, according to Political MoneyLine, a service that tracks campaign finance. The world's largest airline also contributed $1,000 each to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Reps. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, and Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell.
The lawmakers, each of whom has previously received money from American, have varying views about the Wright debate. But they are all sympathetic to American, either opposing the repeal of flight restrictions or wanting to take a cautious approach by phasing in any changes.
Southwest has also been handing out checks.
The airline contributed $2,500 earlier this year to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who introduced legislation to repeal the Wright amendment, according to campaign finance data.
The nation's sixth-largest airline gave $5,000 to Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who subsequently signed on to become a co-sponsor of Mr. Ensign's bill to repeal the Wright amendment.
Southwest also contributed $1,000 each to Republican Reps. Jeb Hensarling of Dallas and Sam Johnson of Plano, who are jointly sponsoring...
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