A House panel’s efforts to quickly advance legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration has run into bipartisan opposition that could stall the bill for weeks.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., called his FAA legislation “transformational” because it would shift oversight of the nation’s antiquated air traffic control system to an independent, nonprofit corporation that would operate untethered from the federal government.
The bill, which includes many FAA reforms that proponents say would streamline and modernize the agency, was approved Feb. 11 by the Transportation and Infrastructure panel by a mostly party-line vote of 32-26.
But the measure may not quickly advance to a floor vote, even though a temporary FAA authorization measure expires at the end of March.
Instead, Congress may be forced to take up another short-term extension of FAA authorization until lawmakers can reach a deal on a multi-year plan.
Not all House Republicans are in favor of Shuster’s proposal to essentially privatize air traffic control. Among the skeptics are the chairmen of House Appropriations and Ways and Means, who have questions about what privatization would mean for federal revenues as well as what taxation power the nonprofit group would wield.
This month, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., took the unusual step of sending a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., warning that he would not back the FAA bill because of the privatization provision.
“The annual oversight and funding role of Congress is critical to providing individual citizens and communities a voice, through their elected representatives, in the operation of our air traffic system,” Rogers wrote in the letter, which was co-signed by Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the appropriations panel, as well as the bipartisan subcommittee chairs who oversee transportation spending.
The ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure panel, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said he is also opposed to privatization, out of concern it will eliminate congressional oversight.
Shuster, however, is adamant that his proposal is necessary to finally modernize the nation’s air traffic control system, which lags behind Europe and Canada and still uses paper tickets to track airplanes rather than GPS and other modern technology.
Delays and traffic congestions caused in part by an outdated air traffic control system costs the U.S. economy $30 billion annually, Shuster said, adding that Canada has successfully privatized its air traffic control system, which sped up modernization of its system.
“This bill provides transformational reform of the U.S. aviation system,” Shuster said this month. “Something that is absolutely necessary to modernize our air traffic control system, ensure the system is both safe and efficient and ensure America leads the world in this industry.”
Most airlines back the privatization plan, which will help eliminate at least some flight delays.
Delta Airlines is opposed to the plan, however. Delta CEO Richard Anderson told lawmakers at a February hearing that the plan creates a private entity that, if it fails, would require a taxpayer bailout and “would also likely make it more expensive to fly” through user fees added to ticket prices.
Heritage Action, a conservative advocacy group, said it is concerned the privatization of air traffic controllers will result in a “double taxation” for consumers, who will have to pay additional fees to the new nonprofit entity.
“The elimination of burdensome bureaucratic controls of our nation’s aviation system can be achieved by moving towards true privatization,” Dan Holler, spokesman for Heritage Action, told the Washington Examiner. “There are concerns that the House bill would instead create an organization that keeps taxpayers on the hook for serious missteps. It is important for those concerns to be addressed as the bill moves forward.”
The Senate has yet to weigh in on the issue.
Senate GOP aides told the Examiner that Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will introduce his own FAA authorization plan in the coming weeks.
“As Chairman Thune has stated, air traffic control reform remains in discussion and deserves fair consideration,” a Thune aide said.
