The Senate on Thursday overcame a procedural obstacle as it got closer to renewing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the Friday midnight deadline.
Senators approved 84 to 13 to start discussing the five-year renewal, bringing them near to finalizing the intricate package.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated on the floor the intention to complete the FAA funding and operations before the upcoming deadline, emphasizing the practical impact on millions of daily air travelers. He encouraged bipartisan efforts to achieve this goal.
Lawmakers face challenges in avoiding a funding gap, particularly with regard to when the Senate will conclude its work. Of particular concern is the effort by senators from the greater Washington, D.C., area to modify a provision in the package that adds flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Negotiators and top lawmakers are aiming to finalize the bill without allowing additional amendment votes. However, senators from Maryland and Virginia continue to oppose the provision, arguing it would lead to safety issues and delays at the airport in order to accommodate additional long-haul flights.
All four senators voted against opening the debate.
Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) issued a statement on Thursday expressing their unwillingness to expedite the chamber's work. They emphasized the overburdened status of the DCA airport and the potential risks associated with increasing the number of flights.
Referring to an incident in mid-April, they added, “We can't agree to expedite the plan until we secure an opportunity to vote on our amendment and convince our colleagues to prioritize passenger safety over a few senators' desire for a direct flight home.” incident The senators from Maryland and Virginia also object to the idea of a one-week FAA extension, fearing it could give senators more opportunity to delay without an amendment vote.
Despite opposition from the DMV Senate contingent, bill managers were encouraged by the strong vote.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) expressed confidence in the colleagues' commitment to completing the bill, despite potential objections to adding additional components.
Cantwell and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), the leading Republican on the Commerce Committee managing the bill for the GOP, told reporters that if the DMV-area senators were to successfully amend the bill, it could jeopardize the entire legislation.
National Airport has mostly focused on short-haul flights under 1,250 miles, with only a few exceptions. Most long-haul flights use Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines, which has strongly opposed the effort to add DCA flights over the past year.
Key members have also attempted to prevent any unrelated amendments from being included in the FAA package because they are worried that including one item over another would lead to a series of holds and complicate final passage.
“We have several objections on our side, which are likely to remain,” said Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday. “It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where one non-germane amendment is approved despite the objections of all the other people who have non-germane amendments they want to have considered.
will need to pass
the bill next week so that it can reach President Biden’s desk.
The House The Senate overcame a procedural obstacle on Thursday as it approached reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the Friday midnight deadline. Senators voted 84 to 13 to begin discussing the five-year reauthorization, bringing them close to approving the complex package. “We aim to complete this today to ensure that the FAA remains funded… the bill next week in order for it to reach President Biden’s desk.
