Jay Rockefeller: “I rise today to support a short- term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration's contract authority and its…”

“I rise today to support a short- term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration's contract authority and its collection and expenditure authority through to June 30, 2008. Because of the urgent need to extend the current aviation taxes and related budget provisions, I am supporting this legislation. But I am becoming convinced that Congress cannot pass S. 1300, the Aviation Investment and Modernization Act, authored by then-Senator Lott and myself. I believe that Congress should pass a long-term extension of the existing aviation taxes in order to give the FAA the funding stability it needs while Congress moves forward with a comprehensive review of how the agency is funded. I cannot support the current funding regime, as it will not provide the agency with the resources it needs to build the Next Generation Air Traffic Control System. In lieu of a long-term extension, I would have preferred an extension until the end of this fiscal year, September 30, 2008, as it would have given the FAA and our Nation's airports a greater degree of reassurance that they will receive the full $3.5 billion in airport funding that Congress approved last year. The short-term extension before us today is not only crucial to the ongoing functioning of the FAA, it is necessary because without it the agency faces a potential crisis. Without adopting this legislation, the FAA would not be able to pay 4,000 employees after February 29, 2008.…”