House passes FAA, highway program extensions

   The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday in two separate votes approved extensions to Federal Aviation Administration and surface transportation programs that were due to expire in the coming days.
   The FAA bill will keep aviation programs running through the end of January while authorization for highway and transit programs is extended through March 31 at current funding levels.
   “While this legislation signifies a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to move forward, it must not be just a temporary Band-Aid for our important aviation, highway, rail and safety programs and for job creation,” Rep. John Mica, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said in a statement. “To build our nation’s infrastructure and put people to work, we need long-term authorizations of these programs. Unfortunately, this bill is the 22nd FAA extension and the eighth surface transportation extension. Congress has delayed passing a long-term FAA bill for over four years, and a surface transportation bill for two years. This action represents a last chance to roll up our sleeves and get transportation projects in America moving again.”
   The House and Senate have passed versions of a long-term FAA bill, but have not come together yet on a common piece of legislation, in part because of differences between Republicans and Democrats over House language that would prevent the National Labor Relations Board from making it easier for unions to organize airline employees.

Mica

   Mica has proposed a six-year transportation spending blueprint with a $235 billion price tag, while a proposal in the Senate calls for $109 billion in funding over two years.
Passage of the extensions at least means that political infighting has been temporarily put aside in the House to prevent a cessation of non-essential aviation and transportation programs, as well as state highway aid.
   The Senate has yet to vote on the measures and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., told Bloomberg he would use parliamentary maneuvers to block passage of an extension unless Congress removes the requirement that states set aside a portion of federal highway grants for roadside beautification and bicycle lane projects.
   President Barack Obama’s new job creation proposal requires states to devote 3 percent of any new highway funds they receive to highway enhancements, according to details released Monday.
The $447 billion American Jobs Act of 2011 includes $27 billion for highway repair and construction projects.
The American Trucking Associations supports additional investment in transportation infrastructure, but said the stimulus bill may make it more difficult to pass much-needed, multiyear transportation legislation.

Graves

   “For almost two years, we’ve been playing the dangerous game of passing extension after extension, casting doubt on our ability to undertake significant projects,” ATA President Bill Graves said. “This jobs proposal gets us no closer to passage of a multiyear bill, and in fact, may contribute to even further delays in passing one.
   “While this proposal would help in the short term, if the president wants to foster job creation through infrastructure spending, he should demand Congress pass a well-funded, multiyear bill with a focus on core highway programs that address critical regional and national transportation needs,” he said.
Graves also expressed skepticism about the $10 billion for starting up a National Infrastructure Bank that would select provide loans to state, local and private sector sponsors of transportation projects. The White House this week said wanted to close several types of tax loopholes, and raise taxes for certain income brackets, to pay for the jobs bill.
   “We’ve long advocated that roads and bridges should be paid for primarily by their users, through the most direct taxes possible, fuel taxes,” Graves said. “Allowing private capital to take their cut as part of an infrastructure bank, or by taxing other sectors to pay for roads and bridges, takes us further away from this core principle.”  — Eric Kulisch