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“PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2881, FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H10631-H10633 on Sept. 20, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2881, FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF
2007
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 664 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 664
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2881) to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the national aviation system, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. General debate shall be confined to the bill and the amendments considered as adopted by this resolution and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill, the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, modified by the amendment printed in part B of such report, shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the five-minute rule and shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. Notwithstanding clause 11 of rule XVIII, no further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill, as amended, to the House with such further amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
Sec. 2. During consideration in the House of H.R. 2881 pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Vermont is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).
All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only, and I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Vermont?
There was no objection.
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H. Res. 664 provides for consideration of H.R. 2881, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, under a structured rule. The resolution provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The rule makes four Democratic amendments and four Republican amendments in order.
H.R. 2881 is a very important piece of legislation last updated in 2003. We are here today to make very critical reinvestments in aviation. And I want to thank, on behalf of the Rules Committee, the excellent work of Chairman Oberstar, the excellent work of subcommittee Chair Costello and Ranking Member Petri.
This bill authorizes $37.2 billion for Federal Aviation Administration operations, $13 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, $15.8 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, and $1.8 billion for research and engineering development. The $13 billion provided for FAA facilities and equipment is significant and will work to accelerate the implementation of the next generation air transportation system. This enables the FAA to make needed repairs and upgrades. This is very important to small airports across the country, including 18 State, municipal, and private airports in my State of Vermont that were all satisfied with the work of this committee, that balanced the needs of small, medium and large airports. Quite an accomplishment.
I recently read the Department of Transportation estimates up to a tripling of passengers, operations and cargo by 2025. This obviously will require airports across the country to make capital improvements, as well as to make readjustments to compensate for this growth.
H.R. 2881 takes action to decrease delays. All of us will welcome that improvement in the current system. The funding levels will allow the FAA to replace and repair existing facilities and equipment to prevent outages and other equipment failures that are a cause of delay.
The bill adjusts for inflation the passenger facility charges for the first time in 7 years. These fees, essentially user fees, are used at airports all over the country to make important facility improvements that would otherwise not be possible. This has been very helpful again in small airports like Burlington in Vermont where the funding stream has made this a modern airport, very convenient for the people, and a competitive airport for the region.
The rule makes in order Mr. Oberstar's amendment, which includes the Essential Air Service Program, something that helps small regional airports get service that otherwise they wouldn't have. I speak from my own experience: the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport has used this to provide service and help create economic growth in the Rutland County area.
Perhaps most importantly, the bill also takes steps towards ensuring our continued safety by increasing the number of aviation safety inspectors, funding programs to increase runway safety inspectors, funding programs to increase runway safety, and requiring regular inspections of foreign repair stations.
I was especially encouraged to see there are provisions within the bill recognizing the impact that the aviation industry has on the environment. This bill establishes landmark new environmental provisions to reduce emissions and energy consumption.
I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), for the time; and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Who would have thought, back in 1903, at Kitty Hawk, that an experiment could have had such an incredible series of effects on our daily lives. Today, air travel helps make the world a smaller place, allowing for an ease of travel and commerce that incentivates extraordinary economic growth and job creation.
But if U.S. air travel is to continue its fundamental role in the global economy, we have to make certain that we have the safest, most modern and efficient transportation system in the world. By reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration funding and safety oversight programs, the underlying bill takes an important step towards addressing those needs.
Too many Americans have faced too many flight delays recently, Madam Speaker. According to the FAA, those delays are, unfortunately, on the rise, up almost 20 percent from last summer. Part of that, obviously, is due to increased passenger traffic at airports. That issue is particularly prevalent at airports such as the one that I'm honored to represent. The district that I'm honored to represent includes within it Miami International Airport. And so airports that are experiencing growth, such as Miami International and Ft. Lauderdale International, are facing this issue of how to deal with increased traffic.
For example, in 2006, almost 33 million passengers passed through Miami International Airport; 45 percent of those passengers were international passengers, going to destinations beyond south Florida.
But MIA is not only a hub for international travel; but it also plays an integral role in trade, in global trade. The airport leads the Nation in international cargo, with almost 2 million tons, a record 2 million tons of cargo processed in 2006. Also, MIA handled 80 percent of all air imports and almost 80 percent of all air exports between U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Because it is both an international hub for passengers and cargo, it provides the community that I'm honored to represent with an economic contribution of over $25 billion annually, generating almost 300,000 jobs, $638 million in Federal aviation tax revenue, and $956 million in State, county, and municipal tax revenue. These are all attributable to MIA.
If MIA is going to continue to play such an important role as a trade gateway, it obviously must continue to grow. The airport is currently in the midst of a $6.22 billion capital improvement program that has seen delays and large cost increases due to construction material and labor in south Florida.
This capital program has expanded the terminal and concourses by 2.7 million square feet and added cargo facilities which now measure 2.7 million square feet of space in 17 new buildings.
I'd like to thank the authorizing committee for authorizing $15.8 billion for the airport improvement program. These much-needed funds will go a long way in helping, for example, MIA complete its capital improvement program.
H.R. 2881, the underlying legislation, would also authorize appropriations of $51 billion, mainly over the 2008-2011 period for activities of the FAA. The bill authorizes funding for FAA operations, facilities and equipment, and for the FAA to hire additional staff to inspect various aspects of the aviation system.
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Currently there is a contract dispute between the air traffic controllers and the Federal Aviation Administration. Air traffic controllers are highly trained and hardworking people. I am honored to know those in South Florida and I am very proud of them for their extraordinary work. Under great pressure with no room for error, they manage our skies and keep the traveling public safe. I am pleased that the Transportation Committee has acknowledged the dispute and taken steps to resolve the issue.
Madam Speaker, I have some concerns with the rule that brings the underlying legislation to the floor. The bill does not include any financing provisions to comply with the majority's PAYGO rule. So in order to get around PAYGO, the Rules Committee self-executed a provision to pay for the bill. A self-executing amendment is a way of circumventing the democratic process by automatically making an amendment part of a bill without a vote on the amendment on the floor. And that is not, in my view, an appropriate way to include provisions into bills, especially tax-increasing provisions.
This rule also only makes in order, Madam Speaker, less than half, eight out of 22 amendments, that were submitted to the Rules Committee. This is an important bill that is being brought to the floor today, and in my view, the Rules Committee should have permitted a full and open debate allowing discussion by the membership of this House on all of the amendments submitted to the committee.
Madam Speaker, at this time it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).
Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
I support this rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 2881, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007. Aviation program authorizations expire at the end of this month, and it is essential that a new authorization is in place in the near future.
Fortunately, aviation has bounced back from the troubles experienced in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. While this is good news, it also is placing a strain on our air transportation system. And it is only estimated to get worse.
For example, 1 billion passengers are estimated by 2015, a 52 percent increase over the 2005 levels. It is estimated that the number of aircraft handled by air traffic control will increase from 45 million in 2004 to over 58 million by 2015.
Aviation is vital to our economy. U.S. airlines employed nearly 600,000 people in the United States in 2003. The industry helps to create and sustain more than 10 million jobs across our country and supports 8 percent of our gross national domestic product.
It's estimated that we need capital investments of $9 to $15 billion each year in order to accommodate this ever-growing demand. The FAA Reauthorization Act increases infrastructure investment, provides for continued progress in the modernization of the air traffic control system, increases safety, and enhances environmental protection.
It is essential that we get a good reauthorization program in place. While there are some provisions in this bill that I believe still need further discussion and negotiation, we need to move the process forward, and, therefore, I support adoption of this rule today.
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I will be asking Members to oppose the previous question so that I may amend the rule to allow for the consideration of House Resolution 479, the earmark accountability rule.
At the beginning of this Congress, we all heard about the new majority's so-called improved earmark rules. As the Congress has worn on, we have noticed that while the new majority's rules changes perhaps look good on paper, they haven't actually accomplished much since the majority has turned the other way when it comes to the actual enforcement of the new earmark rules. Granted, the majority has had to acquiesce to several demands of the minority when it came to appropriation conference reports; yet we have continued to hear reports of nondisclosed earmarks appearing in all sorts of bills, not just appropriations bills.
This rules change would simply allow the House to openly and honestly debate the validity and accuracy of asserted earmarks contained in all bills, not just appropriations bills. If we defeat the previous question, we can address that issue today and restore the credibility of this Congress when it comes to the enforcement of its own earmarking rules.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have the text of the amendment and extraneous material appear in the Record just prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
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