The politicos have a point; the ATA for *years* has said federal ticket taxes artificially raise fares and dampen demand, and lobbied to have those taxes (which are passed through to passengers) removed. The taxes go away, albeit temporarily, and the airlines raise fares to make up that difference.
Like it or not, these actions do run counter to ATA's arguments regarding ticket taxes and prove that ticket taxes don't impact demand...
That said, dumbass politicians have nobody to blame but themselves for AATF contributions going away (albeit temporarily) and yes, it is political grandstanding at its finest.