Senate passes FAA extension, sends it to Bush for signature

CongressDaily June 27, 2008

The Senate by unanimous consent Thursday approved a three-month FAA extension without a plan intended to send more money to federal highway coffers.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., initially attempted by unanimous consent to amend a House-passed three-month FAA extension with a plan from Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mt., to transfer $8 billion from the Treasury to the highway trust fund.

But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., objected.

Reid then asked whether DeMint would accept a $6 billion transfer but DeMint said no. DeMint argued that during earlier debate on making corrections to a 2005 surface transportation reauthorization measure the Senate "had the opportunity to take a lot of money that was saved from projects that were not needed. ... But instead of taking that savings and putting it back in the trust fund, we used it to add additional earmarks and to put more money into projects that were there."

Reid then by unanimous consent approved the measure the House passed 422-0 earlier this week extending FAA through Sept. 30 without the highway trust fund fix.

That three-month extension goes to President Bush. The bill would extend through the fiscal year FAA's authority to collect and spend aviation taxes and contract authority for the Airport Improvement Program.

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COMMENTS

  • It's too bad that our elected officials do not understand the concept of representation enough to actually perform their duties in the best interests of the country, rather than their special interest groups. It must be easier, and more profitable, to keep their hands out, and their mouths running, than to do what this country needs, from issues such as Air traffic control, all the way to illegal immigration. Martin Dyer Posted July 1, 2008 1:56 AM
  • The FAA needs to be self funded thru fee's and the administration of air traffic control needs to be outsourced. If the airlines jobs are run by private companies there is no need for gov't to run the air space Dan ketter Posted June 30, 2008 11:11 AM
  • Meanwhile, the ATC system becomes more strained every day with veteran controllers retiring and politicians looking the other way. No doubt a disaster is the only thing that will wake them up. Retired Air Traffic Controller Posted June 28, 2008 1:45 PM
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