Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2009

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1512, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and for other purposes, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Charles B. Rangel. This important legislation will extend funding in order to improve transportation for Americans across the nation.

The costs of air travel have increased rapidly in the last few months. Airlines have not only increased the price of air fare, but they have been forced to put charges on extra baggage, cut flights, and lay off hundreds of employees. Air travel is essential, as it is beneficial environmentally, socially, and especially economically. Without the ability to travel by air cheaply and easily, the flow of people, goods, and ideas would substantially decrease.

If we do not extend funding to airline programs, many negative consequences will ensue, including cutting services, such as air traffic control, certification, and inspection, as well as the inability by the airlines to buy new equipment for the aging infrastructure.

It is obvious that something must be done to solve this pressing problem. It is necessary for airlines to look into 2 alternative means in order to increase their effectiveness. However, it is also necessary for the United States to fund several programs.

The Airport and Airway Trust Fund was established in 1970 ``to provide for the expansion and improvement of the nation's airport and airway system.'' Since then, it has provided funds for the Federal Aviation Administration. Various pieces of legislation have come before the Congress to extend this fund, and yet partisanship has stalled these bills. It is necessary for us to extend this program in order to modernize our air traffic control system. NextGen, a state-of-the-art air traffic control system would allow control towers to pinpoint the exact locations of aircrafts, making the skies less chaotic, and air travel much more efficient.

Additionally, the extension of the Airport Improvement Program is necessary in order to improve safety and efficiency in our air travel. Airports are sites used by millions and millions of Americans every single day. It is vital that airports, travelers, and air flight personnel be secure, and thus it is important to continue to fund this program.

Even though air travel is obviously important, other forms of travel contribute to the nation as well. The Highway Trust Fund was created by the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 to ensure a dependable source of financing for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. This is the premier fund for government spending on highways, with approximately 45% of all highway spending coming from this fund. The Congressional Budget Office predicts the fund will run a deficit of $1.7 billion at the end of 2009 and $8.1 billion by the end of 2010. The Highway Trust Fund balance must be restored.

This bill will extend the taxes that fund The Airport and Airway Trust Fund, extend the expenditure authority of The Airport and Airway Trust Fund, extend the Airport Improvement Program, and restore the Highway Trust Fund balance. This is a vital bill for cities like Houston, Texas, which happens to have one of the top 10 airports in the Nation. I urge my fellow members of Congress to support H.R. 1512 in order to increase efficiency, safety, and functioning of our nation's transportation systems.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1512) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to give Members 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House bill 1512.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 1512, the Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2009, extends the financing and spending authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.

The trust fund taxes and spending authority are scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. This bill extends these taxes at current rates for 6 months, through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Failure to act on this bill would mean that the taxes expire and the trust fund would lose revenues that are necessary to finance future airport construction projects and updates to the air traffic control system. It would also prevent the FAA from spending funds that are already in the trust fund, shutting down the Airport Improvement Program and critical airport construction projects around the country.

I know the importance of our air transportation system. The Hartsfield-

Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located in my congressional district, is the world's busiest passenger airport. In 50 years the number of passengers traveling through that airport has grown from 2 million to almost 80 million a year. The airport has a direct and indirect impact on the economy of over $20 billion. We must make sure that the taxes are extended and the FAA remains funded. It is critical to our economy and the safety of all of our passengers.

The bill also extends a number of authorizing provisions that are under the jurisdiction of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. All of those provisions were also extended last September in the same bill that extended the expiring tax provisions. This bill will keep the Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxes and operations in place until a long-term FAA Reauthorization Act is signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support House bill 1512. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. TIBERI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1512.

As the gentleman from Georgia said, this is a straightforward bill to provide a 6-month extension of the various excise taxes that support the Airport and Airway Trust Fund as well as the trust fund's expenditure authorities. These taxes and authorities are currently scheduled to expire at the end of this month, and today's legislation will permit Congress the time it needs to consider a longer-term FAA reauthorization bill.

As the ranking member of the Select Revenues Subcommittee, I'm pleased that Chairman Rangel has asked our panel to examine tax issues related to the transportation trust funds, including the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. I certainly look forward to working with Chairman Neal, Chairman Lewis, and all the members of our committee over the months ahead as we determine whether modifications to the financing structure of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund are warranted going forward. Ways and Means is clearly the appropriate committee of jurisdiction regarding these tax issues, and I anticipate working with other members of the Ways and Means Committee of both parties to ensure that our committee continues to shape the FAA reauthorization process this year.

I would note for my colleagues that under the CBO baseline, expiring excise taxes that are dedicated to a trust fund are assumed to be extended at current rates for budgeting purposes. Consequently, the Joint Committee on Taxation is expected to score H.R. 1512 as having no revenue effect, Mr. Speaker, no revenue effect, just as it has with similar short-term extensions of FAA taxes in the past. While many Members on our side of the aisle would argue that CBO and Joint Tax should make that same assumption about expiring tax cuts as well, that's a bigger debate for another day.

For now it's important that we all extend the current FAA excise taxes on a temporary basis, and I am pleased to join with my colleagues from the other side of the aisle and Chairman Lewis in support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in September 2007, the House considered and passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, H.R. 2881. That legislation reauthorized the FAA for four years.

Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to come to an agreement on its bill, and so in September 2008 Congress extended the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) funding and authority for a fifth time.

That extension will expire on March 31, 2009, so today we are considering another extension.

H.R. 1512 would extend the taxes, programs, and funding of the FAA through September of 2009.

This bill----

Extends FAA Funding and contract authority for 6 months;

Funds the Airport Improvement Program at $1.95 billion through September 2009;

Extends the War Risk Insurance program; and

Extends the Small Community Air Service Development Program.

H.R. 1512 will ensure that our National Aviation System continues to operate until a full FAA Reauthorization can be enacted.

As I have indicated many times since the passage of the House FAA Reauthorization bill back in 2007, we need to pass a long-term bill so that we can meet the growing demands placed on our nation's infrastructure. Modernizing our antiquated air traffic control system and repairing our crumbling infrastructure need to be at the top of our priorities.

As we begin the 111th Congress, there is still much work to be done. This 6-month extension gives us time to improve H.R. 915, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009,'' which was introduced by Chairmen Oberstar and Costello last month and approved by our Committee earlier this month.

As we move toward Floor consideration of the FAA Reauthorization bill, I look forward to working with my colleagues to address ongoing concerns with some of the provisions in H.R. 915.

I also urge our colleagues in the other body to take up a comprehensive FAA reauthorization package as early as possible this year.

I support this extension as the best alternative to keep the FAA and the National Airspace System running safely until we can take up and pass a bipartisan and bicameral bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1512, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension Act of 2009. I want to thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member Camp for bringing this to the floor today, as well as Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Members Mica and Petri.

Earlier this month, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, a long-term authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) programs. It should be to the House floor in the coming weeks. 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 March 31, 2009. To that end, H.R. 1512 would extend not only the aviation taxes and expenditure authority, but also Airport Improvement Program (AIP) contract authority, until September 30, 2009.

H.R. 1512 also provides an additional $1.95 billion in AIP contract authority, resulting in a full-year contract authority level of $3.9 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. Speaker, 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.