The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCING H.R. 2881, THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1437-E1438 on June 28, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCING H.R. 2881, THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007
______
HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce H.R. 2881, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007'', a bill that provides historic funding levels for the Federal Aviation Administration's (``FAA'') capital Programs. Between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2011, the bill provides $15.8 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (``AIP''), and nearly $13 billion for FAA Facilities & Equipment (``F&E''). These robust funding levels will enable the FAA to modernize our air traffic control (``ATC'') system and make capacity enhancing improvements at our nation's airports. In addition, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 also provides $37.2 billion--one-half billion more than the FAA's recommendation--for FAA Operations over the next four years.
ATC Modernization
Modernizing our air transportation system is a national priority. The FAA forecasts that airlines are expected to carry more than one billion passengers by 2015, increasing from approximately 740 million in 2006. The Department of Transportation (``DOT'') predicts up to a tripling of passengers, operations and cargo by 2025. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 applies a four-part approach to ATC modernization and the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), including more funding, authority, accountability, and oversight.
The historic funding levels authorized for the FAA's F&E account will: accelerate the implementation of NextGen; enable FAA to replace and repair existing facilities and equipment; and provide for the development and implementation of high-priority safety-related systems.
To increase the authority and visibility of the Joint Planning and Development Office (``JPDO''), which provides the plan for NextGen, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 elevates the Director of the JPDO to the status of Associate Administrator for NextGen within the FAA. It also mandates that the JPDO develop a work plan that details, on a year-by-year basis, specific NextGen-related deliverables for the FAA and its partner agencies, and requires the Secretary of Transportation to report on the plan's progress each year. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 contains provisions to hold the FAA's vendors accountable for providing safe, quality services to consumers and to protect the Government's interest in major NextGen-related acquisitions.
The FAA's ATC modernization program has historically experienced massive cost overruns and delays. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 authorizes Government Accountability Office (``GAO''), Department of Transportation Inspector General (``DOT IG'') and National Research Council audits and reports related to NextGen that will help Congress exercise its oversight responsibilities.
Financing
Due to the projected growth of Airport and Airway Trust Fund (``Trust Fund'') revenue, I do not believe radical financing reform is necessary. I am recommending to the Committee on Ways and Means that the general aviation jet fuel tax rate be adjusted for inflation from 21.8 cents per gallon to 30.7 cents per gallon, and that the aviation gasoline tax rate be increased from 19.3 cents per gallon to 24.1 cents per gallon. I believe that the forecasted growth of Trust Fund revenues, coupled with additional revenue from the recommended general aviation fuel tax rate increases, will be sufficient to provide for the robust capital funding required to modernize the ATC system, as well as to stabilize and strengthen the Trust Fund.
Airport Funding
Madam Speaker, in June, DOT reported that only 72.5 percent of domestic flights by the United States' 20 largest airlines arrived on-
time in January, February, March, and April--the worst showing for those four months since DOT began reporting on-time performance in 1995. This is unacceptable. Robust investment in airport infrastructure is necessary to enhance capacity and combat delays.
According to the FAA, the majority of air traffic delays at the top 35 airports, which account for 73 percent of passenger enplanements, can be traced to inadequate throughput. To quote the FAA: ``The construction of new runways and runway extensions are the most effective method of increasing throughput.''
The FAA's 2007-2011 National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
(``NPIAS'') states that during the next five years, there will be $41.2 billion of AlP-eligible infrastructure development, an annual average of $8.2 billion. This $41.2 billion includes approximately $18 billion in runway-related needs, including new runway, taxiway and apron construction. However, in March 2007, the FAA testified that the current NPIAS report may understate the true cost of needed capital investment, as sharp increases in construction costs occurring in the last half of 2006 were not fully reflected. The 2007-2011 Airports Council International--North America Capital Needs Survey estimates total airport capital needs--including the cost of non-AIP-eligible projects--to be about $87.4 billion or $17.5 billion per year from 2007 through 2011.
In March 2007, the American Association of Airport Executives testified that according to the January 1, 2007 Means Construction Cost Indexes, the average construction costs for 30 major U.S. cities have risen more than 24 percent in the past three years--at an average annual rate of more than 7.5 percent.
To combat inflation and to help airports meet increased capital needs, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 would increase the Passenger Facility Charge (``PFC'') cap from $4.50 to $7.00. According to FAA, if every airport currently collecting a $4.00 or $4.50 PFC raised its PFC to $7.00, it would generate approximately $1.1 billion in additional revenue for airport development each year. H.R. 2881 also provides significant increases in AlP funding for smaller airports, which are particularly reliant on AlP for capital financing.
Small Communities
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 rejects the Administration's proposal to cut funding for the Essential Air Service (``EAS'') program by more than one-half, to $50 million, and instead increases the total amount authorized for EAS each year from $127 million to $133 million
(including $50 million derived from overflight fees).
To improve the quality of air service received by EAS communities, the bill authorizes the Secretary to incorporate financial incentives into EAS contracts based on specified performance goals. In addition, to encourage increased air carrier participation in the EAS program, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to enter into long-
term EAS contracts that would provide more stability for participating air carriers.
In contrast to the Administration's proposal to sunset the Small Community Air Service Development program on September 30, 2008, the bill extends the Small Community program through FY 2011, at the current authorized funding level of $35 million per year.
Environment
Being ever mindful of the obstacles that the United States still faces in trying to expand our airport capacity through infrastructure improvements, and balancing the needs of airport neighborhoods, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 contains several environmental-related provisions, including a phase out of noisy stage 2 aircraft over the next five years; a pilot program for the development, maturing and certification of continuous lower energy, emissions and noise engine and airframe technology; as well as a program to fund six projects at public-use airports to take promising environmental research concepts into the actual airport environment to demonstrate the reduction or mitigation of aviation impacts on noise, air quality or water quality in the airport environment. In addition, the FAA is directed in this bill to establish a pilot program at five public-use airports to design, develop, and test new air traffic flow management technologies to better manage the flow of aircraft on the ground and reduce ground holds and idling times for aircraft with the goal of reducing emissions and increase fuel savings.
Safety
As to safety, the bill authorizes $570 million over four years to increase the number of aviation safety inspectors by more than one-
third. The bill also provides robust funding to address runway safety issues, including $42 million over four years for runway incursion reduction programs; $74 million over four years for runway status light acquisition and installation, as well as requires FAA to report to Congress on a plan for the installation and deployment of systems to alert controllers or flight crews to potential runway incursions. In addition, the bill would require twice a year inspections of foreign repair stations. The very serious issue of flight crew fatigue is addressed in the bill by requiring the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on pilot fatigue, and then to consider the findings of the academy and update, where appropriate, its regulations with regard to flight time limitations and rest requirements for pilots. Importantly, H.R. 2881 also directs the FAA to initiate long-overdue action to ensure crewmember safety by applying occupational health standards onboard aircraft.
Finally, two very important issues will be considered during the Committee markup as amendments to the bill: the first will address the ongoing dispute between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (``NATCA'') and the FAA over failed contract negotiations by establishing a new dispute resolution procedure and requiring the parties to go back to the negotiating table; the second will address the disparate treatment of employees of express delivery companies under our nation's labor laws. Adoption of these amendments will go a long way toward restoring collective bargaining rights to this critical workforce.
Madam Speaker, this is a bill that will keep our skies safe and our passengers moving well into the future.
____________________
