[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 22, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1587-S1588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          FAA REAUTHORIZATION

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, on March 7, 1959, history was made 
when the first aviator charted over a million miles in a jet. Although 
it seems commonplace today, at the time, traveling a million miles was 
indeed, an aviation milestone. Well, today, more than forty years 
later, we are considering another aviation milestone of sorts: a 
reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration which will be of 
significant benefit to our nation's communities, our air infrastructure 
and the flying public.
  I represent a state that has an enormous amount of aviation. Texas is 
home to one of the Nation's busiest airports, DFW, but we also have 27 
other primary airports, 21 designated reliever airports and more than 
1600 other small airports that Texans depend upon to get from one place 
to another. Therefore, I recognize the importance of aviation to my 
state, the critical role my state plays in the national aviation system 
and the important of Airport Improvement Program funding in maintaining 
it.
  This bill provides a framework and the necessary tools to responsibly 
and substantially fund our nation's air infrastructure as we have never 
done before. For the first time we will guarantee that all receipts and 
interest in the Air Trust Fund--totaling more than $33 billion--will be 
spent over the next three years for only aviation purposes. We will 
enhance air safety, allow local areas to provide for their financial 
needs, and assist our traffic controllers in watching our skies and 
protecting the flying public.
  The Airport Improvement Program, on which so many of our airports 
rely, will see an increase of $1.9 billion this year alone. It will 
increase to as high as $3.4 billion over the next four years. This 
funding will allow our airports to make necessary improvements to their 
existing facilities and expand to accommodate the amazing growth that 
all of our nation's airports have seen in recent years. Additionally, 
the Military Airport Program, which helps to assist our current and 
former military airports by providing funds for needed structural 
improvements, will see a boost from twelve airports to fifteen 
designated and eligible this year, and 20 designees, thereafter.

[[Page S1588]]

  In Texas, we are affected by both national and international air 
traffic growth. Traffic to Latin America in the next few years is set 
to exceed capacity and place an even larger burden on neighboring air 
route systems. This will affect traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, in 
particular, where traffic is controlled in large part by the air 
traffic control center in Houston.
  In fact, this is one important area where improvements are greatly 
needed. A large portion of the Gulf of Mexico remains without visual 
communication on radar, nor sufficient two-way communication, in 
general. Traffic in much of the gulf is controlled solely by one-way 
radio communications. The Gulf of Mexico airspace accommodates 
passenger airlines serving destinations worldwide, cargo and general 
aviation traffic engaging in air commerce, and heavy helicopter traffic 
serving the offshore petrochemical industry. It also serves important 
users such as our armed forces, Coast Guard, Customs Service, and the 
Drug Enforcement Agency. All aircraft, from large commercial planes, to 
military aircraft, to helicopters need to have direct two-way 
communication to protect the safety of all those who fly these skies.
  Currently, if a craft hits turbulence due to poor weather and seeks 
to ascend or descend the pilot must radio in to a controller, who must 
check the frequency and the surrounding traffic and then dial and pilot 
back and advise him on altering his position. One-way communication 
alone simply to reach the controller can take as long as seven minutes, 
and as long as fifteen minutes total to relay back to the controller. 
This is unacceptable for a pilot who needs to respond immediately to 
escape violent turbulence and blindly must change his altitude. This 
frightening scenario could be all too real and common as air traffic 
grows.
  The FAA Gulf of Mexico Task Force was formed to highlight the 
problems in the gulf and recommend solutions. More than 100 individuals 
representing the Federal Aviation Administration, airlines, the 
military, and others in the industry have come together to address this 
problem and seek an expeditious and thorough remedy. We can wait no 
longer to let this safety hazard go unaddressed. This bill gives the 
FAA the tools to begin to remedy this situation.
  This bill is a step in the right direction to provide for our 
aviation needs, both on the ground and in the sky. By putting our 
Aviation Trust Fund dollars to work we can help all airports large and 
small provide for their needs. We can ensure that our skies are safe, 
our airports are secure and that our controllers have modernized tools 
to accommodate the growing air traffic demand.
  I am pleased that the Senate has decided to pass this important 
legislation.

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