Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act, Part II

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4217) 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 H.R. 4217.

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

H.R. 4217, the Fiscal Year 2010 FAA Extension Act, Part II, 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 December 31, 2009, a few days from now. This bill simply extends these taxes for 3 months.

Earlier this year, the House passed legislation allowing the trust fund to operate through 2012. Unfortunately, the Senate has not considered this important legislation. Today's bill simply keeps the Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxes and operations in place until a long-term measure can be signed into law.

Air travel plays a critical role in our economy and in our lives. The world's busiest passenger airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is located in my congressional district. This airport alone has a direct impact of $24 billion on our economy. Failure to act will prevent the FAA from spending funds that are already in the trust fund. As a result, important airport construction projects around the country would shut down.

This bill also extends a number of authorizing provisions that are under the

jurisdiction of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led by my good and close friend, Chairman Oberstar. All of those provisions were passed by this body in a similar bill that extended these expiring tax provisions. If we fail to act on this bill, Mr. Speaker, I will repeat, if we fail to act on this bill, the trust fund will lose the revenue that we need for airport construction and the air traffic control system.

I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this good and necessary bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois, the chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, my good friend, Mr. Costello.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 4217. Simply said, Mr. Speaker, we must make sure that the FAA remains funded. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much 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. 4217.

Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward bill, one that will provide a 3-month extension of 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 the month, and today's legislation will permit this Congress the time it needs to consider a longer-term FAA reauthorization bill.

As the ranking member of the Select Revenue Subcommittee within the Ways and Means Committee, I'm pleased that Chairman Rangel held a hearing earlier this year to examine tax issues related to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. I certainly look forward to working with Chairman Rangel, 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 Ways and Means members of both parties to ensure that our committee continues to shape FAA reauthorization as it proceeds forward.

I would note for my colleagues that under the Congressional Budget Office 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. 4217 as having 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 the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Tax should make the same assumption about expiring tax relief as well, that is a bigger debate for another day. For now, it's important that we extend the current FAA excise taxes on a temporary basis, and I'm pleased to join with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in support of this legislation today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to an expert on transportation issues in this Congress, a true leader, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).

I will close by asking, again, my colleagues to support the measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

In the 110th Congress, the House passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, and that legislation reauthorized FAA for 4 years. In May of this year, the House voted again to pass a comprehensive reauthorization bill, this time H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. Unfortunately, the Senate has been unable to come to an agreement on its bill over the last two Congresses. So, for the past 2 years, Congress has passed extensions of the Federal Aviation Administration's funding and authority through the end of calendar year 2009. The latest extension expires at the end of this month, so today we're considering another extension.

H.R. 4217 would extend the taxes, programs, and funding of the FAA through March of 2010. This bill extends FAA funding and contract authority for 3 months, provides $1 billion in airport improvement funding through March 2010, extends the War Risk Insurance program, and extends the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The bill before us, H.R. 4217, will ensure that our national aviation system continues to operate until a full FAA reauthorization can be enacted.

As I've 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 aviation infrastructure. Modernizing our antiquated air traffic control system and repairing our crumbling infrastructure need to be at the top of our priorities.

While I have some concerns with the House-passed bill, I look forward to addressing these issues in conference to develop bipartisan solutions on some of the more controversial provisions of the act. I urge my colleagues in the other body to complete their work on a comprehensive FAA reauthorization package in a timely fashion. And while I'm disappointed that the FAA has gone so long without a comprehensive reauthorization, 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 in support of H.R. 4217, Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act. I want to thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member Camp as well as Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica and Mr. Petri for bringing this to the floor today.

The FAA has been operating under a string of short-term extensions for over 2 years, since the last FAA reauthorization bill expired. Short-term extensions and uncertain funding levels can be disruptive to the aviation industry and to communities because they do not allow them to plan for long-term growth. Every month that goes by without a long- term FAA authorization is a lost opportunity to improve aviation safety, security, and to create and maintain jobs around the country.

Mr. Speaker, the House did its job and passed H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, a 3-year authorization of the FAA programs. For several months, we have been waiting on the other body to bring a bill to the floor and to pass it. The Airport and Airways Trust Fund will expire on December 31, 2009, and the bill before us today, H.R. 4217, extends aviation taxes and expenditures authority and the Airport Improvement Program contract authority until March 31, 2010.

H.R. 4217 also provides an additional $2 billion in AIP contract authority, resulting in an annualized amount of $4 billion for fiscal year 2010. Four billion dollars for AIP is consistent with the House and Senate reauthorization bills, as well as the fiscal year 2010 concurrent budget resolution. These additional funds will allow airports to continue critical safety and capacity enhancement projects.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4217, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.