The House has passed a bill that would extend the funding and authority of the Federal Aviation Administration through March 8.
The short-term extension passed 376-15 with broad bipartisan support. The Senate must now pass a companion bill to ensure that FAA funding doesn’t expire at year’s end.
Congress had been scheduled to complete a five-year FAA reauthorization bill by Sept. 30, but instead passed an eleventh-hour short-term funding extension that runs through the end of the year.
The holdup has been from the Senate. The House, in bipartisan fashion, passed its version of a five-year FAA reauthorization in July. However, a companion Senate bill was held up for months in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation due to a dispute over pilot training.
Politico has reported that committee members have reached a deal over pilot training, but that other disputes are now delaying the process.
In a statement issued Monday, leaders of the House Transportation Committee from both parties called on the Senate to end the delay.
“Because of the Senate’s inaction, today’s extension is necessary to ensure the continued safe operation of our aviation system,” the statement reads. “But make no mistake — the Senate must promptly act on a long-term bill, as a series of short-term extensions hamstrings FAA operations, maintains outdated policies, and fails to provide critical policy updates for aviation safety, efficiency, innovation and more.”
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