CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS – TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Updated Aug. 2, 2011 – 7:53 p.m.
Congress Adjourns Without Extending FAA Authorization
By CQ Staff
Congress adjourned until after Labor Day without resolving a standoff over Federal Aviation Administration authorization that is costing taxpayers at least $25 million a day and has halted hundreds of airport construction projects across the country.
Senate Majority Leader
Earlier in the day, Reid had suggested he would seek unanimous consent to clear the House-passed extension (
But later he said he would not ask senators to agree to the measure, blaming what he called “unreasonable” demands by House Republicans, whom he accused of demanding EAS cuts as “ransom.”
The last short-term extension of FAA programs (PL 112-21) expired July 22, resulting in the furlough of some 3,500 FAA employees, the halt to hundreds of airport construction projects across the country and the loss of $25 million to $30 million daily in excise taxes.
Senate Democrats objected to the House-passed extension, holding out instead for a “clean” extension that would leave policy disputes to a conference on a long-term reauthorization. The Obama administration also called for a clean extension.
But with the House already in recess, Transportation Secretary
Reid suggested he was willing to do that, but by late afternoon, Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman
The West Virginia Democrat blamed Republicans for blocking a clean extension, as well as alternatives that would have made some EAS cuts and included a promise to negotiate on all issues.
While the fight has nominally been over small airport subsidies, a dispute over labor language in the House-passed long-term authorization(
Earlier this week, Utah Republican
“Republicans are trying to jam through a policy that benefits the CEO of Delta Air Lines, and laying off thousands of air travel workers just because they are not getting their way,” said Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Reid. Delta is viewed as the main beneficiary of the House labor provision because it is less unionized than other major airlines.
Republicans say the National Mediation Board rule radically alters practices followed for decades in union elections.
Congress Adjourns Without Extending FAA Authorization
The dispute over the union provision is one of the remaining obstacles to a conference that would reconcile the House reauthorization with a Senate-passed bill (
Mica has blamed the Senate for the FAA shutdown, accusing the Democratic majority of allowing federal aviation programs to grind to a halt in an effort to protect small airport subsidies.
“After waiting weeks and doing nothing but complaining about the process and blaming everyone but themselves, Senate Democrat leaders failed again today to approve an extension of FAA programs before leaving Washington for the August break,” Mica said in a statement. “Apparently, protecting outrageous airline ticket subsidies is more important than putting 4,000 furloughed FAA employees and thousands of airport construction workers across the country back to work.”
Small Airport Subsidies
At issue is language in the House-passed extension that would exclude from the EAS program any airport that needs a per-passenger subsidy exceeding $1,000. Among the airports affected would be one in Reid’s home state.
In remarks to reporters earlier in the day, Reid said he would consider going along with that cut because the consequences of leaving town without resolving the dispute were so dire.
“We have 80,000 jobs at least on the line,” Reid said. “In Nevada, as an example, we have a new airport tower there where they started the construction about two weeks ago. All those people have been laid off. That’s a huge project. I don’t know, but it’s nearly a $100 million project.”
He compared the deadlock to the debt ceiling fight.
“We learned with this big deal we’ve just done, sometimes you have to step back and find out what’s best for the country and not be bound by some of your own personal issues,” Reid said. “And I’m willing to give that up. I hope the other senators would do the same.”
But when he came to the Senate floor Tuesday evening, Reid said he would not go along with Republican attempts to “eliminate” the EAS.
Earlier Tuesday, LaHood huddled with Rockefeller and Hutchison in an effort to find a solution, while Senate Democrats made one more attempt on the floor to win a clean FAA extension. Oklahoma Republican
President Obama expressed frustration at the standoff, which he said had “put the jobs of tens of thousands of construction workers and others at risk.”
“It’s another Washington-inflicted wound on America, and Congress needs to break that impasse now, hopefully before the Senate adjourns, so these folks can get back to work,” the president said, just hours before Congress left for its summer vacation.
Congress Adjourns Without Extending FAA Authorization
Anne L. Kim, Geof Koss, Keith Perine, Ellyn Ferguson, Kathryn A. Wolfe and Alan K. Ota contributed to this story.
First posted Aug. 2, 2011 1:59 p.m.