Rep. Mike Thompson Urges Congressional Leaders to Immediately Address FAA Funding Lapse
“It's time for the House of Representatives to do what it has done dozens of times before - pass a clean extension of the FAA funding bill,” said Rep. Thompson. “Following this needless delay, we have already forfeited more than $250 million in lost revenue for critical airport improvements and put tens of thousands of American out of work. Meanwhile, airlines continue to take full advantage of this shutdown by artificially inflating the cost of plane tickets. It's time for Congress to take action to end the insanity.”
Also today, Congressman Thompson became a co-sponsor of H.R. 2644, the Aviation Jobs and Safety Act of 2011. This legislation would extend all FAA programs through September 20, 2011, allowing Congress more time to finish a long term FAA extension.
As a result of the lapse in FAA funding, nearly 4,000 employees have been furloughed and nearly 90,000 Americans ready to go to work on aviation-related construction projects have been sent home. Additionally, the Aviation Trust Fund is losing an estimated $200 million each week in lost revenue. A copy of Rep. Thompson's letter to Congressional leaders to available below:
“Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,
“I urge that the House of Representatives immediately consider a short term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to end this unnecessary agency shut down during a critical period of our economic recovery.
“As you know, on July 22, 2011 the last short term extension of FAA programs expired. Since that time, nearly 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed indefinitely; revenue has stopped coming into the Aviation Trust Fund; and nearly 90,000 American workers ready to go to work on aviation related construction projects have been sent home. Should this shutdown of the FAA continue into mid September, as some press reports have suggested, the Aviation Trust Fund stands to lose over $1 billion in revenue needed for critical aviation improvements. Meanwhile, airlines will take full advantage of this shutdown by forcing every day American consumers to pay more for their airfare by replacing expired aviation taxes with unnecessarily more expensive plane tickets.
“While disagreements exist as to what a long term FAA Reauthorization should look like, those policy differences should not prevent a short term extension of these necessary programs. There is no reason a simple, clean short term extension of the FAA cannot brought up under a unanimous consent agreement as early as today.
“Much has been said about crafting legislation to spur job growth later this year. It is therefore incomprehensible to me and to the American public that our failure to bring up a simple FAA short term extension has put so many Americans out work. That is why Congress must consider and pass a clean short term FAA extension as soon as possible.
“Thank you in advance for your immediate consideration of this very time sensitive request.”