Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Thursday, March 22, 2001

WASHINGTON - Senator Bond today announced that he has effectively killed a legislative bid by North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan (D) to derail the proposed merger between American Airlines and TWA.

“I killed the Dorgan bill and St. Louis can now rest a little easier,” said Bond. “I will continue to put the full weight of my office behind what is right for St. Louis and Missouri even if that upsets another Senator. The only way Senator Dorgan’s bill is going to make it to the Senate floor is over my dead body.”

Bond ended Senator Dorgan’s effort to pass a bill that would have suspended all airline mergers for two years, including American Airlines and TWA. Bond did so by informing Senate leadership of his readiness to filibuster the bill if any Senator moved to have it considered by the Senate.

“Ordinarily, Senators refrain from moving so decisively against another colleague’s legislation, but the threat to TWA had to be removed once and for all,” said Bond.

Senator Bond action on this issue follows his other work on behalf of the TWA deal, which includes his testimony before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees and his communications with Attorney General John Ashcroft on the anti-trust implications of the merger..

“I will not rest until this deal is done,” said Bond. “I will do whatever it takes to protect it.”