{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-blasts-trump-admin-decision-on-hidden-bag-fees", "Menendez Blasts Trump Admin Decision on Hidden Bag Fees", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Blasts Trump Admin Decision on Hidden Bag Fees \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Blasts Trump Admin Decision on Hidden Bag Fees \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\n\t\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0\r\nNEWARK, NJ \u2013 U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a leader in Congress to protect consumers from hidden costs, today responded to the announcement by the Trump Administration\u2019s Department of Transportation (DOT) that it is withdrawing a proposal that would have required ticket agents and airlines that provide fare information to consumers to also disclose ancillary bag fees to consumers. The rule was based in part on a Menendez proposal to require clear airfares. \r\n\u201cJust in time for Christmas travel, the airline industry will be getting yet another profit-busting gift to nickel and dime consumers to pad their bottom lines,\u201d said Sen. Menendez. \u00a0\u201cTravelers deserve to know the full cost whenever they book a flight and the standards proposed by the Obama Department of Transportation were a hard fought victory for those of us who believe airline passengers shouldn\u2019t have to absorb hidden fee after hidden fee.\u00a0 President Trump\u2019s decision to roll back these protections\u2014under the pretense that they don\u2019t benefit the public\u2014doesn\u2019t pass the laugh test.\u00a0 As Congress considers a new FAA bill, I intend to continue fighting for better protections for air travelers.\u201d\r\nThe proposal would have required airlines to make the ancillary bag fees available to consumers at the point in which fares are being compared to help them better understand the full cost of a ticket. It also would have included a number of other consumer protections, including giving consumers expanded information on on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and oversales; creating new customer service standards for large ticket agents; and better disclosure of code-share operations.\r\nSenator Menendez has previously introduced the \"Real Transparency in Airfares Act\" which would maintain the requirement that ticket sellers display \"full-fare advertising\"-showing the full base airfare to consumers, including all taxes. In addition, it doubles the penalty for violating this law. He led a letter to USDOT Secretary Foxx urging the agency to expedite the agency\u2019s planned consumer protection work.\r\nMenendez has been championing additional consumer protections since 2008, through his Clear Airfares Act.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-blasts-trump-admin-decision-on-hidden-bag-fees"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4832932502031326, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}