PASS and Aviation Coalition Urge Swift Passage of Senate FAA Reauthorization
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- Published: August 16, 2018
In a letter sent yesterday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), PASS joined a coalition of 32 other aviation and aerospace organizations calling on swift passage of long-term reauthorization of the FAA in the Senate.
“The U.S. aviation sector supports nearly 11 million jobs and contributes $1.6 trillion in economic activity,” the coalition wrote. “The aerospace industry needs dependable authority from the FAA and policymakers to continue to provide the highest level of service for aviation customers and meet the needs of the aviation industry and workforce.”
The House passed a five-year FAA reauthorization bill in May that, after a long-fought battle, was free of privatization and included a number of PASS priorities. Similarly, the Senate Commerce Committee passed its own FAA reauthorization legislation, which was free of any privatization proposal, out of committee last year. With the current FAA extension set to expire on September 30, the pressure is now on the Senate to move its bill to the floor for a vote to allow the two chambers to meet in conference to iron out differences in the legislation.
“There is bipartisan support for moving the FAA bill forward now to ensure safety, economic benefits, regulatory reform, and international competitiveness through a long-term reauthorization bill for the FAA,” the letter concludes and urges the Senate to secure this legislation.
In an unusual move, Sen. McConnell canceled most of the Senate’s August recess in order to allow more floor time for the numerous competing legislative priorities faced by the chamber. Despite the current FAA reauthorization expiring at the end of the fiscal year, it is yet to be seen if the legislation will be taken up in the waning days of summer.