Virginia Senators Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) say they will not agree to fast-track a one-week extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act unless colleagues commit to holding a vote in his amendment to eliminate a provision to add five new flights to and from Reagan National Airport.
Senators argue that approving a one-week extension of the FAA reauthorization will only give Senate leaders enough time to run out procedural time on the Senate floor to pass the bill next week without allowing any amendments.
They want to put more pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to reach a deal that allows a vote on their amendment before the reauthorization of the FAA expires this Friday.
If the Senate passes the one-week stopgap approved by the House on Wednesday, leaders could wait until next week to pass the long-term bill and feel less pressure to pass votes on amendments.
Kaine and Warner, who are allies of Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen (D) and Ben Cardin (D), argue that adding five new round-trip flights – five inbound and five outbound – will further burden the local Maryland airport. Washington and will create security risks.
Kaine spoke repeatedly on the Senate floor about the near collision between a JetBlue flight and a Southwest Airlines flight in April.
“Last month’s near miss at DCA is a red warning light that this airport is overloaded and that cramming more flights onto America’s busiest runway is a terrible idea,” Kaine and Warner said in a joint statement.
Senators expressed their frustration that neither they nor their Maryland colleagues had a chance to shape the bill when it was being drafted in the Senate Commerce Committee.
“But now, the same senators who crafted a provision in the FAA bill to do just that, behind closed doors and against the advice of all four D.C. senators, are asking us to facilitate a procedural path to the line of this bill without a promise to bring our amendment – or any amendment – to a vote,” Kaine and Warner said.
“We cannot in good conscience give the green light to this plan until we are committed to the fact that there will be an opportunity to put our amendment to a vote and to persuade our colleagues to prioritize the safety of millions of passengers over the desire of some senators on a direct flight home,” they said.
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