James Oberstar: “I do want to observe, though, that the manager's report contains a listing of over 100 airport projects that managers…”

“I do want to observe, though, that the manager's report contains a listing of over 100 airport projects that managers want to see funded out of FAA discretionary funds. In the past, there have been listings of projects for specific airports but without specific dollar amounts and with less prescriptive language than is included in this manager's report. The law governing aviation discretionary funds requires the FAA to establish a priority system under which decisions are made about those projects that will receive these very limited dollars. Highest priority goes to projects that will bring airports into compliance with safety and with security standards, and next are projects that are subject to letters of intent. Others are for phased projects and for preservation of existing infrastructure. Many of the projects listed here may be of fine quality in and of themselves to qualify for funding under FAA established standards. But the aviation system is not like highways.”