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Transporation and Infrastructure committee approves aviaiton extension

Direct News Source

23-Sep-2009- By Jim Berard 202-226-5064

The House of Representatives today approved and sent to the Senate H.R. 3607, a bill to extend funding authority for federal aviation programs through December 31, 2009. Current authority is set to expire on September 30 unless extended. The bill was passed on a voice vote.

Below are the prepared floor statements by Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Jerry F. Costello (Ill.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation.

FLOOR STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JAMES L. OBERSTAR
H.R. 3607, THE "FISCAL YEAR 2010 FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
EXTENSION ACT"
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3607, the "Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act".

The previous long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization act, the Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (P. L. 108-176), expired in the 110th Congress. Although the House passed an FAA reauthorization bill last Congress, the Senate was unable to complete action on a long-term FAA reauthorization bill. As a result, Congress passed a series of short-term FAA extension acts.

In the 111th Congress, on May 21, 2009, the House passed H.R. 915, the "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009", to reauthorize FAA programs for fiscal years (FY) 2010 through 2012. Although the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has reported its FAA reauthorization bill, the Senate has not completed action on the bill. Given that the current authority for aviation programs and taxes expires next week, another extension is necessary to continue aviation programs until a multi-year reauthorization bill can be completed.
H.R. 3607 provides a three-month extension of aviation programs and taxes, through December 31, 2009. H.R. 3607 provides $1 billion in contract authority for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The $1 billion provided for the first three months of FY 2010 will enable airports to move forward with important safety and capacity projects. When annualized, this level of AIP funding equals $4 billion, which is consistent with both the House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills, and the FY 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution.

The bill also authorizes appropriations for FAA Operations, Facilities and Equipment (F&E), and Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) programs, consistent with average funding levels of the FY 2010 House-approved appropriations bill and the Senate-approved appropriations bill.

In addition, H.R. 3607 extends the aviation excise taxes through December 31, 2009. These taxes are necessary to support the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which provides about 80 percent of the FAA's budget. With an uncommitted cash balance of just $140 million estimated as of the end of FY 2009, any lapse in the aviation taxes could put the solvency of the Trust Fund at risk.

In addition to extending the aviation taxes, H.R. 3607 extends the FAA's authority to make expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, through December 31, 2009.

To allow aviation programs to continue under the same terms and conditions as were in effect during the previous authorization period; H.R. 3607 also extends several other provisions of Vision 100.

I thank Chairman Rangel, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, for his assistance in ensuring the continued operation of aviation programs. I also thank my Committee colleagues, Ranking Member Mica, Subcommittee Chairman Costello, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Petri, for working with me on this critical legislation.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3607.

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JERRY F. COSTELLO
H.R. 3607, THE FAA EXTENSION ACT OF 2009
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 3607, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension Act of 2009. I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Members Mica and Petri, as well as Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member Camp for bringing this to the floor today.

At the end of May, the House passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, a long-term authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) programs. We have been waiting on the other body for several months to bring a bill to the floor and pass it. It has been almost 2 years since Vision 100, the last FAA reauthorization bill, expired. Congress has been unable to pass a multi-year FAA bill since then, and instead approved a series of short-term extensions. However, until H.R. 915 is signed into law, it is imperative that we not allow FAA's critical programs to lapse.

The Aviation Trust Fund is currently operating under a short-term extension that expires on September 30, 2009. To that end, H.R. 3607 would extend not only the aviation taxes and expenditure authority, but also Airport Improvement Program (AIP) contract authority, until December 31, 2009.

H.R. 3607 also provides an additional $1 billion in AIP contract authority, resulting in a full-year contract authority level of $4 billion for fiscal year 2009. These additional funds will allow airports to proceed with critical safety and capacity enhancement projects, particularly larger projects that require a full-year's worth of AIP funds to move forward.

Mr. Chairman, aviation is too important to our nation's economy - contributing $1.2 trillion in output and approximately 11.4 million U.S. jobs - to allow the taxes or funding for critical aviation programs to expire.

Congress must ensure that this extension passes expeditiously to reduce delays and congestion; improve safety and efficiency; stimulate the economy; and create jobs. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.