“Today’s bipartisan vote in the Homeland Security Committee means our bill has been cleared for takeoff in the U.S. House. While there is more work to be done, this is a very important step towards returning commercial air service to Klamath Falls,” said Walden.

“The people of Klamath County deserve safe, reliable air service. Since TSA won’t restore screening to Klamath Falls on its own — even when a commercial air carrier has expressed a desire to resume flights at the airport — Congress needs to pass a new law forcing them to do so.

“This will help grow the local economy, attract tourism, and support the national security mission at Kingsley Field. I’m proud this bill will help accomplish that,” Walden said.

The Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport has been working to restore commercial air service since carrier SkyWest left the airport in June 2014.

Last fall, the city of Klamath Falls received a commitment from Alaska-based carrier PenAir to bring back commercial service with daily flights to Portland.

However, TSA has refused to bring back screening services at the airport after SkyWest’s departure, despite repeated calls from the local community and from Oregon’s congressional delegation.

A similar bill is working its way through the Senate.

To access the article on the H&N website, refer to this link: http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/tsa-klamath-airport-bill-moves-to-u-s-house-floor/article_4418d770-e950-5789-9f32-22cf1e5eab7d.html