FAA Reauthorization Bill Sent to Congress

With a disclaimer that the move does not indicate endorsement, Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure officially introduced the Bush Administration’s plan for reauthorizing the FAA. Committee chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and aviation subcommittee chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) stressed that the action was performed as a courtesy to the White House and should not be construed as a blanket endorsement of the proposal. “The bill has been introduced at the request of the Secretary of Transportation,” said Oberstar. “Protocol dictates that we honor this request, even if we disagree with the proposed legislation in part or in total.” Oberstar, considered the most knowledgeable member of Congress on aviation matters, has long opposed user fees for general aviation, which are sprinkled liberally throughout the President’s proposal.