The House on Wednesday approved a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk ahead of the Friday deadline.
The measure was approved in the Chamber by 387 votes to 26, days after the Senate approved the project by an overwhelming majority, 88 votes to 4.
Passage of the legislation marks the end of Congress’ long road to reauthorizing the FAA, which required four short-term extensions and featured a bitter battle over adding round-trip flights at Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA) – slots that were finally included in the final legislation.
With FAA reauthorization officially in the rearview mirror, Congress has no more must-do priorities on its legislative to-do list until the fall — when government funding for fiscal year 2025 is due — a relief to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has found himself in hot water with his right flank during several political fights over the past six months.
Meanwhile, House Republicans are expected to advance messaging bills on a variety of topics — immigration and the war between Israel and Hamas, for example — as lawmakers prepare for the November elections.
Consideration of the FAA bill suffered much less turbulence in the House than in the Senate, where lawmakers fought tooth and nail, unsuccessfully, to secure votes to change their unrelated pet priorities. Leadership refused to schedule votes on any amendments to avoid any additions that could sink the legislation.
There was also the long-running feud over a provision that would add more flights into DCA, a regional debate that pitted lawmakers who represent areas near D.C. — concerned about delays and safety after a near-miss at the airport last month — against those who come from more distant districts.
The FAA compromise bill, released by negotiators late last month, added five round-trip flights at DCA. In July, the House voted against an amendment that would have added seven round-trip flights at DCA in a vote of 229-205.
Senators from Maryland and Virginia sought a vote on an amendment that would remove the additional vacancies from the bill, which Senator Ted Cruz (Texas), the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, refused to introduce due to concerns that the package would “fall apart” if the language was rescinded.
These four DC-area senators – Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) – were the only ones to vote against the bill.
House members representing Virginia similarly voted against the legislation. In a joint statement Tuesday, Democrats representing Old Dominion, joined by D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), issued a statement criticizing the additional vacancies.
“Approval of a provision to increase DCA congestion and delays is Congress at its worst,” the group wrote.
“The House rejected this measure with a bipartisan vote, and its authors were so certain they would lose the Senate floor vote that they blocked all amendments, including a proposal to ensure the added flights were not dangerous,” they continued. “In a shameful moment for the Senate, the will of the majority of both chambers was overturned in a backroom deal that placed special interests above the safety and convenience of millions of Americans.”
DCA has traditionally focused on short-haul flights under 1,250 miles, with some exceptions, while longer flights take off more frequently from Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
The debate over DCA slots has attracted significant attention from airlines. United Airlines, which has a hub in Dulles, lobbied against adding flights to DCA.
In addition to the additional DCA vacancies, the FAA reauthorization bill includes a new requirement for the agency to hire and train up to 3,000 new air traffic controllers, a provision that increases the length of cockpit voice recordings from two to 25 hours. , and increases the period for individuals to use travel credits is at least five years.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
