Legislative Actions

May 15, 2009 10:00AM

The Reauthorization Act of 2009 is the primary funding vehicle for the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2007 a similar bill never made it through Congress due to user fee disputes between corporate, general and commercial aviation and an ongoing contract dispute with air traffic controllers.

This bill includes many beneficial items including incentives to promote green technology, contract resolutions with ATC and funding for Next Gen Technology. We support these changes.

This bill however must be changed to stop implementation of the Northeast Airspace Redesign until all the ciritical safety, legal and procedural issues are addressed. This includes conducting a legal impact statement, and re-opening the comment phase to all impacted areas.

Protections must be written into this bill to enforce the law and protect the safety of the flying public which has been compromised by the actions and inactions of a captainless FAA. Funds are crucially needed to install safety equipment in the towers, runways and in the cockpits and training of pilots, ground crews and air traffic controllers.

Read below the statement of Rep. John Hall of New York, from the Aviation Subcommittee in the House:

Statement of Representative John Hall
On the Airspace Redesign Language in HR 915
March 5, 2009


Mr. Chairman-

I am disheartened to see that this bill contains language talking about the helpful role the FAA redesign can play towards saving money for airlines and passengers. I support this bill, but I respectfully disagree with that contention.

The redesign has brought unnecessary and unprecedented noise levels to my constituents, as planes have been rerouted to fly directly over their homes. What had once been quiet suburban communities have become significantly less so because of the redesign.

It was completed without the input of air traffic controllers or many pilot groups and it is being implemented over the strenuous objections of the people who are most affected by it: the residents of Westchester County and Rockland County who live in the houses underneath.

A number of lawsuits have been filed on a variety of different grounds, to stop the redesign. A court victory will force the FAA to reconsider the process and start over, this time with the active participation of all the involved stakeholders.

I hope this committee continues to exert appropriate oversight over the agency and this program. And when the court does make its ruling I hope it listens to the evidence, follows the law and makes the right decision.


View the Bill here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.915.IH:

Feb 4, 2009 11:02PM

Aviation lobbyists were successful in getting a handful of senators to include funding for the Airspace Redesign in the Economic Stimulus Package. It also accelerates the implementation of the Redesign even though it is under litigation.

We are waiting for changes to be made on Rockefeller Amendment 182 which is included in the massive package of amendments called Senate Amt. 98. The Rockefeller Amendment was not debated or voted on separately but rather rolled up into this omnibus package.

The problem with the Rockefeller Amendment is that it hides the funding for this failed and flawed project in a very useful project which deserves funding; Next Gen Technology. We are wholly supportive of funding for Next Gen Technology. We are not however supportive of funding the Routes and Procedures associated with performance based navigation because these essentials are Airspace Redesign, which is in litigation and is being unlawfully implemented.

Environmental protection organizations like Our Airspace are requesting only to amend this proposed legislation to say "excluding any Routing changes or Procedures associated with the Airspace Redesign."

We have notified Senator Schumer, Lautenberg, Rockefeller of the requested changes to this amendment. We await their response. They are aware that their support of this measure as written will undermine all of the efforts we have made to protect our communities and stand up for environmental law.

Click here to email your Senators about this issue.

Rockefeller Amendment 182 to Economic Stimulus Package
   FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
   NEXTGEN ACCELERATION

    For grants or other agreements to accelerate the transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System by accelerating deployment of ground infrastructure for Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast, by accelerating development of procedures and routes that support performance-based air navigation, to incentivize aircraft equipage to use such infrastructure and procedures and routes, and for additional agency administrative costs associated with the certification and oversight of the deployment of these systems, $550,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010: Provided, That the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall use the authority under section 106(l)(6) of title 49, United States Code, to make such grants or agreements: and Provided further, That “any procedures or routes associated with the Northeast Airspace Redesign are excluded from this provision”, with respect to any incentives for equipage, the Federal share of the costs shall be no more than 50 percent.

* Either Remove items marked in Red

---OR

---ADD “any procedures or routes associated with the Northeast Airspace Redesign are excluded from this provision

June 30 2008- FAA Reauthorization Act funding expires June 30.

June 23 2008 - Transportation & Housing Approporations bill goes to the White House. FAA funding included.

June 18 2008- Hearing in the House on Aviation Congestion. ATADirector pushes the FAA to implementation of the airspace redesign. Shays calls for immediate end to the implementation of the airspace redesign. Schumer, Oberstar, and Hall ask for more ATCs in the towers. Schumer blasts the FAA over fligth caps which would temporarily solve flight delay.

May 6, 2008- The Senate voted NO on the Funding Reauthorization Act (Hr2881-S1300).

The House Bill provides support and funding for the Airspace Redesign and would need to be amended to stop implementation until GAO review and resolution of litigous action. See Below

This amended bill failedcloture montion on Tuesday May 6. you may read this here:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r110:FLD001:S53611

We encourage you to read the text of the legislation yourselves. Our Airspace volunteers have pinpointed some alarming passages and have notified lawmakers of concern. You as a citizen, local government or environmental representative should contact your elected officials and discuss the issues outlined and how they could impact you and your constituency. HERE is the FAA's budget request for FAA including airspace redesign:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/aba/budgets_brief/media/bib2007.pdf

HR 2881

FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007
To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the national aviation system, and for other purposes.

CURRENT STATUS: