Congress Is Likely To Approve Six-Month FAA Extension
CONGRESS DAILY: Congress Is Likely To Approve Six-Month FAA Extension
by Darren Goode
Congress today is expected to agree to a six-month extension of federal aviation law as well as provide another $8 billion to federal highway coffers. The House is likely to approve the measure under suspension of the rules, followed shortly by the Senate.
The bill extends federal aviation law and excise taxes another six months after Congress was unable to reach agreement this year on FAA reauthorization legislation aimed at helping to modernize the nation's air traffic control system from a ground-based to satellite-based system.
Lawmakers are expected to take another stab at that reauthorization effort next year.
The six-month FAA extension also comes with the transfer of money from the Treasury to the highway trust fund, which many expect to have a shortfall starting next year.
It is the same amount of money that was transferred from the highway trust fund to the Treasury in 1998. A small number of Senate fiscal conservatives objected to a unanimous consent motion to bring the bill up and approve it Monday. But Republican leaders say there is plenty of support to move it through on a roll-call vote.
Meanwhile, a top Democratic aide said there was a strong possibility that a stand-alone measure on passenger-rights legislation is likely to move this week.
AVIATION WEEK: House Considers Extending FAA Funding Authority Through Sept.
by Madhu Unnikrishnan
Congress is considering legislation that would extend FAA's funding authority through the end of September.
The bill, introduced on June 20 by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and co-sponsored by the Transportation Committee leaders James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), John Mica (R-Fla.) and Thomas Petri (R-Wis.), extends Airport and Airway Trust Fund expenditure authority to Sept. 30.
The current extension expires next Monday, and FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell earlier this month warned that the agency could face furloughs if the funding authority were not extended (DAILY, June 5).
The bill also extends the Airport Improvement Program project grant authority through Sept. 30.
The House is expected to vote on the measure this week, a House Transportation committee spokesman told The DAILY. The Senate is considering a similar bill.
HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL: FAA Reauthorization Bill Deadline Looming
The FAA’s current short-term extension expires June 30. If Congress does not act, the FAA will be unable to collect taxes for the trust fund that pays for most of its activities or spend money from the account, making layoffs just in time for the busy July 4 travel weekend. Last week, the Senate spent much of the week trying to get all senators to sign off on a new extension that could be passed by voice vote. That failed.
HAI reports that on June 16, Senate Democrats floated a plan that would have extended the authorization through the end of September, similar to a House bill introduced by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-New York) last week (H.R. 6327). The result? Republicans protested because they wanted a longer period. Now, the current plan being circulated within the Senate would extend the FAA authorization through the end of the calendar year, December 2008.
If Congress passes an extension into next year, that would mean the larger four-year reauthorization (H.R. 2881, S. 1300) will likely die at the end of the current Congress, would have to be reintroduced, and then marked up again next year. Under that scenario, all bets are off as to whether the user fees concept would rear its ugly head again, necessitating another lengthy lobbying battle with the airline industry. Remember, this is an election year, and much depends upon whether the Democrats or the Republicans take the White House.
The Senate is expected to try again today, Monday, June 23 to move a measure by unanimous consent. If the Senate passes an extension, the House could take it up and clear it. If not, HAI has been informed by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff that the House is prepared to move its own extension before the July 4 Congressional recess which starts at the end of this week. HAI is closely monitoring floor action in the House and Senate and will provide updates as developments occur on Capitol Hill.
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