{"id":2122507,"date":"2023-12-12T07:27:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T12:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-looks-to-avoid-year-end-faa-fight-as-aviation-safety-concerns-hold-up-deal\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T07:33:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T12:33:41","slug":"congress-looks-to-avoid-year-end-faa-fight-as-aviation-safety-concerns-hold-up-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-looks-to-avoid-year-end-faa-fight-as-aviation-safety-concerns-hold-up-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress aims to prevent year-end FAA dispute as aviation safety concerns hinder agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongress-looks-to-avoid-year-end-faa-fight-as-aviation-safety-concerns-hold-up-deal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2122507&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Lawmakers Expected to Pass Temporary Extension for FAA Authorization<\/h2>\n<p>Lawmakers in the House and Senate are expected to kick the can down the road and pass a temporary\u2063 extension \u2062to the Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s authorization until March 8, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a long-term deal.<\/p>\n<h3>Extension Introduced to Allow Time for Negotiations<\/h3>\n<p>Rep. Sam\u200b Graves (R-MO), the chairman\u200c of the House \u200cTransportation and Infrastructure Committee, and ranking member Rep. \u2063Rick \u200bLarsen (D-WA) recently introduced the extension that\u200c would allow the\u2063 Senate to work through its concerns\u2062 with the bill while also giving both\u200b chambers enough time to hash out the differences between\u200c the legislation.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>JUDGE QUESTIONS IF AMTRAK TAKING UNION\u200d STATION IS CONSISTENT WITH CONGRESSIONAL INTENT<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Months ago, lawmakers decoupled the FAA portion from government funding to keep aviation safety\u2064 separate in case negotiations went south\u2063 over a spending deal. \u200bLawmakers averted a government shutdown in\u2062 mid-November with\u2063 a stopgap measure that extended the funding for the agency until Jan. 19.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u2063 that task appeared to be an \u2064uphill climb after the Senate bill continued to be held up over a dispute over whether to change pilot training requirements and\u2062 whether to\u2064 allow pilots in training to count flight simulator \u200btraining\u200c toward their required 1,500 hours of in-flight experience to become a certified pilot.<\/p>\n<p>Weeks ago, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the \u200dNo. 2 \u200dRepublican in the Senate, said talks among the committee members had been\u2064 productive and that\u200d they \u2062were attempting to deal \u2063with the \u200bpilot \u2062shortage problem. \u2063However, sources involved in discussions told the Washington Examiner a deal has yet\u2062 to be reached on this front.<\/p>\n<p>The House passed its \u200bversion \u2064of the bill 351-69 on July 20. \u2064Its version would keep standards for pilot training\u2062 the same \u200cafter blocking \u2064a proposed change \u2063floated\u2064 by Graves. However, the legislation raised the mandatory pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, which is intended \u2063to expand the pilot workforce. The measure faces opponents in\u200c both parties and the Biden administration who \u200dargue the change could\u2062 affect safety and cause headaches because pilots older than 65 are unable to fly internationally.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the pilot retirement age policy, lawmakers must resolve a dispute \u2063about expanding the perimeter rule for the\u200b Ronald Reagan Washington\u200b National Airport. A group of lawmakers is attempting to increase the\u200d number of long-distance flights at the\u2062 airport, which has limits on the number of\u200b flights\u200c that travel more than 1,250 miles away.<\/p>\n<p>Both \u2062Reagan and Dulles International Airport are owned by the federal government, which means Congress has the power to \u2064decide how they operate. However, lawmakers from the Washington area are opposed to an expansion and \u2064continue \u2063to argue\u200c the airport is already\u200b strained by traffic and noise \u200ddisruption, pointing to an internal FAA memo that found 20 more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-area-senators-warn-dca-perimeter-dispute-risks-delaying-faa-reauthorization-bill\/\" title=\"DC-area senators caution that the DCA perimeter dispute may cause delays in passing the FAA reauthorization bill.\">daily round-trip operations<\/a> would \u200dincrease delays by 25.9% and an increase of 25 daily round-trip operations would increase delays \u2062by\u2064 33.2%\u2062 at Reagan.<\/p>\n<p>Even with a short-term extension, industry leaders are concerned the dysfunction could create a safety risk as more than 130 million people are expected to travel for the holidays this year, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. The \u2063surge in travel comes \u200bas an independent U.S. \u200baviation review team\u2062 called \u200bfor \u201curgent action\u201d \u2062to prevent plane crashes last month.<\/p>\n<p>The FAA released a 52-page report citing concerns that include technology problems, staff shortages, outdated systems, and funding difficulties. Since the beginning of the year, the National Transportation Safety \u200dBoard opened seven \u2063investigations into near-collisions on tarmacs \u2062across the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most important\u200c action Congress can take for the safety of the NAS [national airspace system] would be to pass a long-term, comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill before the end of the year,\u201d National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Rich Santa \u2064said at a Senate hearing in November. \u200b\u201cContinuing to follow the same \u200dflawed\u2064 controller \u2064staffing model utilized by the\u200c FAA\u2064 after more than a decade of missed hiring goals and missed\u2064 staffing projections will continue this downward trend. A new approach\u2063 is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Between 2007 and 2012, \u2062there were 23 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-budget-director-shalanda-young-refuses-to-give-mccarthy-credit-for-spending-deal\/\" title=\"Shalanda Young, Biden's budget director, denies McCarthy credit for spending deal.\">short-term extensions<\/a> of the FAA\u2019s authorization, including a two-week lapse in 2011. In 2013, the FAA shut down for 16 days due to\u200c the budget sequestration, which resulted in furloughs of FAA staff members, including\u200b technicians and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-and-rescue-teams-at-site-of-indonesian-plane-crash\/\" title=\"Search and rescue teams at site of Indonesian plane crash\">air traffic controllers<\/a>. The agency was also\u200b caught in a partial government\u2063 shutdown for 35 days in late 2018 and early 2019, in which air \u200dtraffic controllers worked without a paycheck \u2064for 35 \u200cdays but received back pay.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith \u200cso \u200bmany challenges facing airports \u200cand the \u2063entire aviation\u2064 industry, we simply\u2064 cannot afford to go through years of multiple short-term extensions,\u201d said Paul Bradbury, director of the \u2063Portland International\u200c Jetport, at a congressional hearing at the \u200cend of last month. \u201cRepeated short-term extensions and FAA shutdowns make it exceptionally\u200c challenging for airport operators to plan and complete their capital \u2062projects. Funding \u200buncertainty is particularly \u2063difficult on smaller\u200b airports and those with short construction\u200b seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Industry leaders continue to sound the \u2064alarm about the \u200cimpact of all these short-term extensions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo we want \u200cAdministrator\u2062 [Michael] Whitaker \u200cto spend his time managing lapses in authority and appropriations or focus his time on addressing \u200dthe agency\u2019s significant challenges \u2063and taking advantage of opportunities?\u201d \u200dPete Bunce, president and CEO of the \u2064General Aviation Manufacturers Association, \u2064asked \u200cat the same hearing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we have seen in\u2062 the past, \u200dif action is not \u200ctaken now, \u2062it will have both near-term and\u200b long-term impacts and set the agency \u2062back \u200bsubstantially,\u201d \u2064he added.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/congress\/aviation-industry-leaders-warn-of-safety-risks-as-lawmakers-prepare-to-pass-temporary-faa-extension\">CLICK HERE\u200b TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does \u200ba \u2063temporary extension \u200bof FAA authorization contribute to \u200duncertainty and instability in the aviation industry?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Targeting is not a viable option for the safety of the traveling public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, a \u2064temporary \u200dextension only\u200c adds to the uncertainty and instability in the aviation industry.\u200c Airlines \u200cand other industry stakeholders need a \u200dclear and stable regulatory framework to plan their operations and investments. A long-term FAA\u2064 reauthorization \u200bbill would provide the stability\u200d and predictability necessary for the industry to thrive.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the FAA plays a crucial role in\u2062 ensuring the safety and efficiency of air\u200d travel. It oversees\u2063 air traffic control, airport operations, and the certification of aircraft and\u200b pilots. Without a \u2064fully authorized and \u200bfunded FAA, there could be serious consequences \u2064for the safety and security of the \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-faa-nominee-whitaker-after-lengthy-vacancy\/\" title=\"Senate confirms Whitaker as FAA nominee after long vacancy.\">national \u2062airspace system<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200d conclusion, lawmakers \u200dare expected to pass a\u2063 temporary extension for FAA authorization,\u200d providing more time for negotiations on a long-term deal. However, this stopgap measure \u200conly prolongs the\u2064 uncertainty and instability in the \u200baviation industry. A long-term, comprehensive FAA\u2062 reauthorization bill \u200bis needed to provide stability, safety, and\u200b efficiency to the \u2062air travel system. It is crucial that lawmakers prioritize the passage of such\u2064 a bill to ensure the continued safety and success of\u2062 the aviation \u2063industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sam Graves (R-MO), along with other lawmakers, are likely to pass a short-term extension for the Federal Aviation Administration&#8217;s authorization until March 8. This will provide additional time for negotiations on a permanent agreement. Graves, as the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, plays a significant role in this process<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2122508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2122507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2122507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2122508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2122507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2122507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2122507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}