On Tuesday, May 6, a vote to limit debate on the Senate version of FAA Reauthorization legislation was defeated, 49-42. This failed procedural vote means the bill has been removed from the Senate floor for the time being. Current authorization of FAA authority and funding expires June 30.
Read more about the Senate's recent debates, below.
At stake is funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize and operate our nation’s air transportation system. For even more news coverage and related information on this important industry issue, visit www.smartskies.org:
- Stevens Urges Senate to Keep Considering Stalled Aviation Safety Bill, Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner (5/8)
- Partisan Dispute in Senate Grounds FAA Overhaul Legislation, Wall Street Journal (5/7)
- FAA Bill Sizzles in Senate, Aviation Daily (5/7)
- OPINION: Stuck in the 20th Century, Denver Rocky Mountain News (5/7)
- Private-Jet Fuel Taxes Won't Rise; Senate Pulls Aviation Bill, Bloomberg (5/6)
- Turbulence for the FAA Bill, Forbes.com (5/6)
- Senate wrangling derails air traffic overhaul bill, Reuters (5/6)
- Democrats Set Tuesday Vote to Break Logjam On Senate FAA Bill, Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones (5/1)
- FAA Bill Mired on Reimbursements, Nonaviation Measures, Congress Daily (5/1)
- FAA Overhaul Legislation Encounters Senate Delays, Wall Street Journal (5/1)
- Provisions of the Senate FAA Bill, AMTOnline/Congressional Quarterly (5/1)
- Senate FAA Bill in Peril as Leaders Drop Pension Provision, CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones (4/30)
- Aviation Bill Stalls in Senate, Washington Post/Reuters (4/30)
- Senate Clears Procedural Step On FAA Reauthorization, Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones (4/29)
- Blog: Senate Moves on FAA Bill, Politico (4/28)
- Lobbying battle to continue despite Finance’s FAA deal, The Hill (4/26)
- Senate Speeds FAA-Overhaul Bill, Wall Street Journal (4/26)
- U.S. Private-Jet Fuel Taxes Rise 65% in Senate Accord, Bloomberg (4/25)
- Lobbyists, FAA prepare for new battle, Politico (4/25)
Recap of Senate debate timeline:
On Thursday, May 1, discussions reached an impasse over various non-aviation issues and a variety of amendments being considered for inclusion in the final version of the Senate bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set a procedural vote for Tuesday, which will hopefully act as a deadline for members of the Senate to vote on the amendments.
On Wednesday, April 30, efforts to pass a bill swiftly were complicated as debates centered around airline pension plan provisions and oil prices.
On Tuesday, April 29, the White House Office of Management and Budget indicated that a veto of the bill was possible if certain provisions regarding congestion management and safety oversight remained in the legislation.
On Monday, April 28, the U.S. Senate agreed to limit debate on a four-year reauthorization of the FAA, moving closer to a vote on the bill, which could take place by the end of the week.
On Friday, April 25, Senate negotiators reached an agreement that will help to speed up the bill, which would boost taxes for private-jet users to pay for a satellite-based air traffic control system. "This agreement is a good down payment toward ending the growing inequities that exist between airline passengers and corporate jet users," Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said.
The House passed its version of the bill last September.