The U.S. House Budget Committee will consider a consolidated budget reconciliation package that includes ATC funding, tax incentives, and other measures.
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The U.S. House Budget Committee has scheduled a session for tomorrow morning to consider the combined budget reconciliation package that will include an array of measures of interest to the aviation community, from extension of bonus depreciation and additional air traffic control (ATC) funding to auctioning of spectrum frequencies.
Consideration follows approval of the separate pieces of the bill over the past couple of weeks in the various House committees. The Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee was among the first to pass its piece of the package, which included a measure that would provide $12.5 billion in additional funding for ATC modernization and controller staffing. Additionally, the T&I portion would eliminate certain green-energy grants and other funding incentives, including for sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and other low-emission projects.
On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee cleared its portion that includes numerous business incentives, including a return of full bonus depreciation through 2029, immediate research and development expensing, and other business tax breaks.
Also this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a package that would call for the auction of at least 200 MHz within the radio spectrum over the next three years and up to 600 MHz by 2034.
The committee votes have all been along party lines, so the future of the package is unclear with razor-thin margins in the full House and disputes among Republicans over various other provisions. Additional ATC funding has attracted strong bipartisan support. Bonus depreciation in the past has also garnered backing from across the aisles.
However, the radio spectrum auction is raising concerns that the aviation community could face another scenario as it did with the 5G rollout, and the elimination of green energy support has generated Democrat opposition.
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Kerry Lynch
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Budget Bill Set for Next Vote with More ATC Funding
Newsletter Body
The U.S. House Budget Committee has scheduled a session for tomorrow morning to consider the combined budget reconciliation package that will include an array of measures of interest to the aviation community, from extension of bonus depreciation to additional air traffic control (ATC) funding to auctioning of spectrum frequencies.
Consideration follows approval of the separate pieces of the bill over the past couple of weeks in the various House committees. The Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee was among the first to pass its piece of the package, which included $12.5 billion in additional funding for ATC modernization and controller staffing. Additionally, the T&I portion would eliminate certain green-energy grants and other funding incentives, including for sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and other low-emission projects.
On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee cleared its portion that includes numerous business incentives, including a return of full bonus depreciation through 2029, immediate research and development expensing, and other business tax breaks.
Also this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a package that would call for the auction of at least 200 MHz within the radio spectrum over the next three years and up to 600 MHz by 2034.
The committee votes have all been along party lines, so the future of the package is unclear with ongoing disputes among Republicans over various other provisions.