![]() One issue likely to arise during conference discussions is changes to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s perimeter rule, which limits the airport to flights within 1,250 miles, with some exemptions. If the Senate does pass its bill in September, it’s not clear whether Graves and ranking member Rick Larsen, D-Wash., could reconcile the differences between their bill and Cantwell and Cruz’s legislation in the House’s 12 legislative days before the end of the month. And if the past is any indication, Larsen and Graves’ bipartisan approach could prove difficult to maintain with so little time. ![]() The House passed its 800-page-plus version of the bill via a 351-69 vote in mid-July, sticking to the loose schedule House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., prescribed back in May. “I’m very optimistic we’ll get an FAA bill very soon when we return.” Conference “Chairman Cantwell is really making progress on the FAA bill… I think it’s better,” he said. Schumer himself said at a news conference on July 27 that work on the bill is progressing. “We’ve had seven near-misses in recent years, and the solution is not to cut down on pilot training.” It does not actually say what the training is,” Duckworth said in an interview. “We’re not going to have some sort of nebulous language that says you can substitute 150 hours or 250 hours with structured training. Duckworth introduced a bill this month that aims to strengthen pilot training standards and uphold the 1,500-hour rule, a move she described as “holding the line” against efforts from Thune to weaken them. ![]() Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., have rallied behind Schumer in opposing changes to current pilot training requirements. But resolving this issue has proved to be challenging.” Cantwell and her team, and we’ve made significant progress on the bill. “My team and I will continue working with Sen. ![]() “We have twice on the committee had a bipartisan agreement, and unfortunately, Chuck Schumer blew it up,” Cruz said. Schumer, D-N.Y., objected to the provision’s inclusion in the manager’s amendment the morning of the markup over concerns that it could weaken pilot training standards. Over a month later, lawmakers are still at an impasse.Ĭruz blamed Schumer for “blowing up the agreement” and said senators will have to continue discussions through the August recess. John Thune, R-S.D., included in the bipartisan manager’s amendment that would establish a program providing a prospective pilot who completed “enhanced training” with an additional 250 hours toward the required 1,500 hours of flight experience for eligibility to fly for a regional or major airline.Īccording to staff members familiar with the situation, Majority Leader Charles E. The Senate’s FAA bill, which includes authorization for airport improvement projects, aviation modernization and passenger protection provisions, hit turbulence just minutes before the committee was set to mark up its 400-page-plus bill in mid-June.Ĭhair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., delayed the markup over what she described as a “miscommunication” over language from Sen. “I still hope we’ll get a markup early in September,” Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an interview. Heated negotiations over pilot training have already deadlocked senators, in turn delaying discussions between the two chambers to reconcile differences between their versions of the measure. And with a September calendar already crowded with other authorization and funding deadlines, it seems likely Congress will have to enact an extension for the aviation agency's funding authority before the fiscal year ends. Senators jetted out of Washington last week without advancing a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, giving them just 17 legislative days to pass a measure before the agency's funding authority expires at the end of September.
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