Rumors are flying around Washington, DC, that Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee Chairman Rockefeller will capitulate to Chairman Mica of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and pass the extension that the House passed two weeks ago. That will put around 75,000 FAA and construction workers (depending on who is counting) back to work and allow the government to start collecting FAA aviation taxes again.
If he does not chose to do this, the loss to the government by the time Congress reconvenes will be more than a billion dollars.
There are noises coming out of staffers and new sources that are pointing to an OK of the FAA extension that was sent to the Senate by the House about two weeks ago.
The Congressional Urban Caucus just clamored for something to be done to get the tens-of-thousands of workers back to work and tens-of-millions of dollars being lost captured again.
“Let’s keep the conversation going. Before Congress officially begins its August recess we must take action to get some 74,000 workers back on the job. This is an important issue and I encourage our House and Senate leaders to keep talking, keep working and keep negotiating until all 74,000 employees affected by the failure of Congress to reauthorize the FAA are back on the job.
“Getting these employees back to work is vital to reducing unemployment and supporting the economic recovery.”
The House is in recess. So, the only movement can come from the Senate Committee that just re-emphasized their own Essential Air Services legislation that is already in the FAA version of the Senate bill.
I think they are getting ready to accept the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s language and get the FAA back to work.
Note: Sorry my optimistic post seems to have been proven wrong. The Senate went into recess without addressing this issue. I find it amazing that the Senate is so wrapped up in process that they are willing to forgo more than a billion dollars in order to pout.
I know that the House Transportation Committee started ths issue by not playing by the “rules” but, the Senate obstinance is beyond the necessary.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
