Susan Collins: “Merry Christmas. I thank Chairman Graves for yielding and for his leadership this year as we have worked to address many…”

“Merry Christmas. I thank Chairman Graves for yielding and for his leadership this year as we have worked to address many challenging issues that are facing our aviation industry. Hopefully, soon we will be celebrating enactment of the FAA reauthorization bill that was shepherded through the House in July rather than debating additional short-term extensions. However, Mr. Speaker, here we are, and I rise in support of the Airport and Airway Extension Act. This legislation will continue the current authorization of the Airport Improvement Program, Essential Air Service, and other key programs through March while we wait for the Senate to act on H.R. 3935. As we know, our Nation's airports--including Hartsfield-Jackson, which serves my home State of Georgia and, by the way, is the busiest in the world--are constantly working to build new infrastructure in response to rising demand for passenger and cargo services. They depend on AIP to keep those projects rolling and people and goods flying. That is why I support the Airport and Airway Extension Act, but I also call on the Senate to act quickly on our long-term FAA reauthorization bill, which will modernize FAA operations, grow the aviation workforce, strengthen the general aviation sector, improve the passenger experience, and so much more. Mr.…”