[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 156 (Thursday, December 2, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7867-H7869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           AIRPORT AND AIRWAY EXTENSION ACT OF 2010, PART IV

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6473) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend 
the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust 
Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend the airport 
improvement program, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6473

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Airport and Airway Extension 
     Act of 2010, Part IV''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF TAXES FUNDING AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST 
                   FUND.

       (a) Fuel Taxes.--Subparagraph (B) of section 4081(d)(2) of 
     the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking 
     ``December 31, 2010'' and inserting ``March 31, 2011''.
       (b) Ticket Taxes.--
       (1) Persons.--Clause (ii) of section 4261(j)(1)(A) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking 
     ``December 31, 2010'' and inserting ``March 31, 2011''.
       (2) Property.--Clause (ii) of section 4271(d)(1)(A) of such 
     Code is amended by striking ``December 31, 2010'' and 
     inserting ``March 31, 2011''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on January 1, 2011.

     SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND 
                   EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 9502(d) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
       (1) by striking ``January 1, 2011'' and inserting ``April 
     1, 2011''; and
       (2) by inserting ``or the Airport and Airway Extension Act 
     of 2010, Part IV'' before the semicolon at the end of 
     subparagraph (A).
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2) of section 9502(e) 
     of such Code is amended by striking ``January 1, 2011'' and 
     inserting ``April 1, 2011''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on January 1, 2011.

     SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--Section 48103 of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
       ``(8) $1,850,000,000 for the 6-month period beginning on 
     October 1, 2010.''.
       (2) Obligation of amounts.--Subject to limitations 
     specified in advance in appropriation Acts, sums made 
     available pursuant to the amendment made by paragraph (1) may 
     be obligated at any time through September 30, 2011, and 
     shall remain available until expended.
       (3) Program implementation.--For purposes of calculating 
     funding apportionments and meeting other requirements under 
     sections 47114, 47115, 47116, and 47117 of title 49, United 
     States Code, for the 6-month period beginning on October 1, 
     2010, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration shall--
       (A) first calculate funding apportionments on an annualized 
     basis as if the total amount available under section 48103 of 
     such title for fiscal year 2011 were $3,700,000,000; and
       (B) then reduce by 50 percent--
       (i) all funding apportionments calculated under 
     subparagraph (A); and
       (ii) amounts available pursuant to sections 47117(b) and 
     47117(f)(2) of such title.
       (b) Project Grant Authority.--Section 47104(c) of such 
     title is amended by striking ``December 31, 2010,'' and 
     inserting ``March 31, 2011,''.

     SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF EXPIRING AUTHORITIES.

       (a) Section 40117(l)(7) of title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``January 1, 2011.'' and inserting 
     ``April 1, 2011.''.
       (b) Section 44302(f)(1) of such title is amended--
       (1) by striking ``December 31, 2010,'' and inserting 
     ``March 31, 2011,''; and
       (2) by striking ``March 31, 2011,'' and inserting ``June 
     30, 2011,''.
       (c) Section 44303(b) of such title is amended by striking 
     ``March 31, 2011,'' and inserting ``June 30, 2011,''.
       (d) Section 47107(s)(3) of such title is amended by 
     striking ``January 1, 2011.'' and inserting ``April 1, 
     2011.''.
       (e) Section 47115(j) of such title is amended by striking 
     ``January 1, 2011,'' inserting ``April 1, 2011,''.
       (f) Section 47141(f) of such title is amended by striking 
     ``December 31, 2010.'' and inserting ``March 31, 2011.''.
       (g) Section 49108 of such title is amended by striking 
     ``December 31, 2010,'' and inserting ``March 31, 2011,''.
       (h) Section 161 of the Vision 100--Century of Aviation 
     Reauthorization Act (49 U.S.C. 47109 note) is amended by 
     striking ``January 1, 2011,'' and inserting ``April 1, 
     2011,''.
       (i) Section 186(d) of such Act (117 Stat. 2518) is amended 
     by striking ``January 1, 2011,'' inserting ``April 1, 
     2011,''.
       (j) The amendments made by this section shall take effect 
     on January 1, 2011.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Costello) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6473.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6473, the Airport and Airway 
Extension Act of 2010, Part IV.
  I want to thank Chairman Oberstar of the Committee on Transportation 
for bringing this bill to the floor today.
  At the end of September, we passed an FAA extension that will expire 
on December 31. H.R. 6473 is a clean 3-month extension that runs 
through the end of March. However, I am hopeful that we can still pass 
a long-term FAA reauthorization bill before the 111th Congress 
adjourns.
  There are many important provisions in the FAA reauthorization bill, 
such as binding arbitration for the air traffic controllers, addressing 
the consolidation and realignment of FAA facilities, and making 
investments to accelerate NextGen. In addition, the bill will create 
thousands of jobs at a time when our economy continues to struggle and 
too many Americans are out of work. Our aviation system plays a 
significant role in our national economy, and I will continue to push 
for a comprehensive, long-term FAA reauthorization bill.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as was pointed out, in May, the House passed H.R. 915, 
the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. In March of this year, the Senate 
passed its own FAA reauthorization bill. The House took that up, 
amended it, passed it, and sent it back to the Senate. Since then, we 
have been in formal discussions to reconcile the two bills. While these 
discussions have led to tentative agreements on nearly all of the 
provisions, a few controversial issues have prevented the House and 
Senate from reaching a final agreement.
  Therefore, with the FAA's authorities set to expire at the end of the 
calendar year, we again find it necessary to consider another 
extension. Like the 16 earlier extensions over the past 3 years, the 
bill before us would provide a short-term extension of the taxes, 
programs, and funding of the FAA, this time through the end of March 
2011.
  It is unfortunate that this Congress has not been able to reach final 
agreement on a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill. We recognize the 
importance of a multiyear authorization, and I look forward to working 
with Mr. Costello and my other colleagues in the next Congress to that 
end.
  However, in order to ensure the safe operation of the National 
Airspace System while Congress continues to debate a full 
reauthorization package, I certainly support passage of today's 
extension and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
chairman of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the 
gentleman from Minnesota, Chairman Oberstar.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the chairman for yielding time, and I thank Mr.

[[Page H7868]]

Mica for his partnership in bringing yet another Transportation bill to 
the House floor in these waning hours of the session. I wish with all 
my heart we didn't have to be here and that the other body had acted on 
this measure in the 110th Congress and earlier in this Congress, but 
that's not the case, unfortunately.
  Without going into any detail or further reviewing of the inscrutable 
actions of the other body, I will just say that we are here again, 
doing our part in public service, carrying out our trust to the people 
of this country and to the cause of aviation in assuring that we 
continue the programs of aviation until such time--and hope continues 
in my heart and that of Mr. Costello, Mr. Petri, Mr. Mica, and, I 
think, of the whole aviation community--that we will be able to 
accomplish passage of the full authorization bill.
  We are headed for a billion passengers in the airspace of the United 
States. Last year, a billion people traveled by air worldwide. Three-
fourths of them traveled in the U.S. airspace. We account for more air 
travel than all the rest of the world combined. To continue to provide 
the level of service needed for this engine of economic growth of 
aviation, which accounts for 9 percent of our gross domestic product, 
we need to prepare for the future.
  This legislation will provide the authorization for the Next 
Generation air traffic control technology to be implemented in time 
with the effectiveness that the FAA has always pursued and for the good 
purposes of aviation.
  It is important for us to persist until the very last hours of this 
Congress to ensure that the goals of aviation will be met; that safety 
in aviation will be provided at the highest possible level, as stated 
in the opening paragraph of the FAA Act of 1958; that we meet our trust 
to the flying public to ensure that the separation of aircraft at 
altitude will be conducted by the most robust, efficient, available 
technology; and that we prepare the groundwork for future growth in 
aviation. This legislation does it.
  It is a tribute to Mr. Costello and to Mr. Petri. They have worked 
together. Particularly, Mr. Costello has chaired the subcommittee and 
has bent himself to the effort. He has persisted rigorously in 
hearings, in meetings, in markup to fashion the best possible future 
for aviation. This bill is a monument to his service as chair of the 
Aviation Subcommittee. For that reason alone, it ought to be enacted by 
the Congress.
  For myself, this is a nostalgic moment. I think, unless we are here 
again on aviation, it is likely to be my last measure on which I will 
speak in this body. I thank my colleagues for their support.
  I thank our diligent, dedicated, and gifted committee staff, 
especially David Heymsfeld and Ward McCarragher, our full committee 
Chief of Staff and counsel, for the many, many years we have spent 
together; Stacie Soumbeniotis, who came onto the committee to become 
one of the most outstanding aviation professionals in this whole 
country; and many others whose names I will submit for the Record.

                              {time}  1230

  I am grateful for their friendships, their partnerships, and to the 
people of my district for this opportunity to serve the great public 
good in this greatest legislative body in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6473, the ``Airport and 
Airways Extension Act of 2010, Part IV''. This bill ensures that 
aviation programs, taxes, and Airport and Airway Trust Fund expenditure 
authority will continue without interruption pending completion of 
long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization 
legislation. Because the long-term bill may not be completed before the 
current authority for aviation programs expires at the end of this 
month, H.R. 6473 is needed to extend aviation programs, taxes, and 
expenditure authority for an additional 3 months, through March 31, 
2011.
  This 3-month extension is not intended as the final decision on how 
long an extension should be authorized if the long-term bill cannot be 
passed this month. The term of an extension is under House-Senate 
discussion. Because of the difficulties in passing any legislation this 
month, we thought it desirable to begin the process with 3 months as a 
placeholder.
  The most recent long-term FAA reauthorization act, the Vision 100--
Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (P.L. 108-176), expired on 
September 30, 2007.
  Although the House passed an FAA reauthorization bill during the 
110th Congress, and again in 2009, the Senate failed to pass an FAA 
bill until March of this year. The FAA has, therefore, been operating 
under a series of short-term extension acts, the most recent of which 
expires on December 31, 2010.
  Since passage of the Senate bill in March, we have been working 
diligently to resolve the differences between the House and Senate 
bills. As it stands now, the negotiated bill would provide the aviation 
sector with the stability of a multi-year authorization, safety 
reforms, record-high capital investment levels, acceleration of the 
Next Generation Air Transportation System effort, and a passenger bill 
of rights. Moreover, a comprehensive multi-billion dollar FAA 
reauthorization would create tens of thousands of well paying aviation 
sector jobs. Unfortunately, since July, the FAA reauthorization bill 
has been hung up in the Senate, primarily over a provision that would 
significantly increase the number of long-distance flights at 
Washington National Airport.
  We will continue to work as hard as we can on behalf of the American 
public for a strong, comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, which I 
still remain hopeful that we can deliver this Congress. However, 
without the passage of either a multi-year authorization, or another 
extension, the FAA's capital, research, and airport grant programs 
would shut down after December 31, 2010, and thousands of FAA employees 
would be furloughed. FAA's authority to make expenditures from the 
Airport and Airway Trust Fund would also cease without an extension. 
Therefore, if we are unable to enact an FAA reauthorization bill, we 
need to ensure that the FAA will continue running properly without any 
disruption until such a bill is enacted.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6473.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just want to take a minute to acknowledge and express my admiration 
for the service of the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). The Public Works and Transportation Committee 
has a long and honorable record here in our Congress. I think the 
gentleman from Minnesota has been a contributing member of that 
committee both as a leading staff member, working his way up, and then 
as a member of the committee representing the Iron Range in northern 
Minnesota and working his way up to the chairmanship, for a significant 
percentage of the life of the committee. We are a 200-year-old-or-more-
plus country and I think you've been on the committee for at least a 
quarter of that time.
  It has really been a joy for me to be able to learn about the 
background and history and contexts of a lot of the different decisions 
that the committee has faced over the years from the gentleman from 
Minnesota, who in some cases read about them, in other cases 
experienced firsthand the history that we were discussing and the 
background of the decisions that we were making. Like any other two 
Members of a body like this, we've never agreed on everything, but I 
think we've always tried to be agreeable. I certainly have appreciated 
that. And I think that there is no question that the people of the Iron 
Range in northern Minnesota are going to lose a great and dedicated 
champion with deep roots in the history of that mining region of our 
country.
  I would just like to yield for a brief moment to my chairman on the 
Education and Labor Committee, George Miller.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding 
and I appreciate taking a moment to recognize Jim Oberstar's service to 
our country and to the Congress.
  As one who came to the Congress with Congressman Oberstar, he had 
such a wealth of knowledge before he was elected as a Member of 
Congress because of his service in the Congress, on the committee, but 
just to see him every year become such a remarkable spokesperson for 
infrastructure and public works and the needs of this country in almost 
every conceivable form, in maintaining this country and its economy, 
and to see him become such an authority both in the Congress and across 
the Nation and around the world on the demands of our economy on the 
infrastructure and the interrelatedness of those two things. You can't 
really have one without the other. If you're not growing the 
infrastructure, you can't grow the economy.

[[Page H7869]]

You can't grow the economy if you're not growing the infrastructure. 
It's a lesson I think that we have maybe painfully learned over the 
last few months.
  He was a spokesperson for doing much more on behalf of the 
infrastructure but also in behalf of the men and women who are employed 
in that effort and the people who would be employed in the future with 
modern airports, modern ports, modern rail systems, smart highway 
systems and an integrated transportation system. I have been very proud 
to serve with you all of this time, all of our time together in the 
Congress. Thank you for your knowledge and for your service.
  Mr. PETRI. Before I wrap up, just one last point, and that is that I 
think one thing I've learned watching Jim Oberstar is the way he has 
expressed appreciation for and treated the people he works with on the 
staff of the committee and in the House. I think the fact that he spent 
many years as a staffer himself, sometimes you get angry about things 
but he always recognized the contribution and the importance of the 
work that was being done by people who devoted their lives often not in 
the public spotlight but even in more important endeavors as they 
actually worked out the details of legislation that were working with 
us, such as David Heymsfeld that he just referred to.
  For these and many other reasons, you, sir, shall be missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland, a member of the committee and also a subcommittee chairman, 
Mr. Cummings.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for 
yielding, and I certainly support the legislation, but I wanted to take 
a moment to express my thankfulness to the gentleman from Minnesota, 
Chairman Oberstar. You know, so often we look at our lives and we 
question how they will intersect with other people's lives. And we hope 
that when those intersections come about that we are made a better 
person because of them. And I can say that when my life eclipsed with 
that of Jim Oberstar's, my life became a better life.
  As the chairman of the Coast Guard subcommittee, the gentleman from 
Minnesota was consistently there guiding, showing me the ropes and 
giving me an opportunity to be all that I could be. It's not every 
chairman that does that, that says, I'm going to allow you to be all 
that you can be and then give you the guidance to get there, and then 
support you throughout.
  I've learned a lot in all my years, and it's been about 15 years on 
that committee, from our chairman. But there is also the thing that a 
number of other people have already said. I've been just amazed with 
his leadership and his passion with regard to the issues of aviation, 
the Coast Guard, water, rail, and all of our other subjects. Not only 
is he a walking encyclopedia, but he is also one who brings a strong 
history to those issues and has been truly a professor, a guide and a 
true leader. They say that leaders, people want to follow people who 
have integrity, who have commitment, who will go the extra mile.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. True leaders. Jim Oberstar is one who we know that even 
in those moments, as the Greek theologian Swindoll said, when he was 
unseen, unnoticed, unappreciated and unapplauded that he still did the 
right thing. That's what leadership is all about. Generations will be 
better off because Chairman Oberstar touched our lives. I wish him 
well.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Let me also say to Chairman Oberstar, I want to thank him for his 
kind words about this legislation and the work that both myself and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) has done. But actually every team 
has to have a captain and a leader and he has been the leader. He is 
the person that drove every transportation bill in the last several 
years coming out of the Transportation Committee on the floor of this 
House.
  I have said many times both here in Washington and back in Illinois 
that no one in the Congress of the United States or in my opinion in 
the entire country knows more about transportation issues than Jim 
Oberstar. He's given all of his adult life to serve his country. His 
entire time here both as a staff person and as a member and then as 
chairman of the Transportation Committee, he has left us with a legacy 
that we can be very proud of. And I am very certain that as we end this 
Congress and move on to the 112th, as we are taking up our business, we 
will all turn to him and continue to ask him for his advice and to help 
us guide our way into the future as to how we can improve the quality 
of life for the people of this country by improving our transportation 
system.

                              {time}  1240

  I thank him for not only his service, but personally for his guidance 
to me. He has been a mentor. Everything that I have learned about 
aviation I learned from Jim Oberstar. I wish him well and look forward 
to having him take my phone calls many times in the future as I turn to 
him for advice.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask for strong support for this legislation.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that we find ourselves 
considering the 17th FAA Extension bill.
  As of September 30th, it has been three years since the FAA was last 
authorized. This has been the longest period of time between FAA 
reauthorizations in decades, but still Congress has been unable to 
reach agreement on a final FAA bill.
  I know we are all disappointed that we have not been able to reach 
agreement on a full reauthorization package. Such a bill would:
  Ensure stable funding for airport projects across the country, 
providing for long-term construction jobs;
  Advance implementation of the Next Generation Air Traffic Control 
system; and
  Improve aviation safety standards.
  Both bodies have been negotiating to produce a final FAA bill that 
sets priorities and improves our airspace system.
  Unfortunately, Congress just cannot seem to get the job done.
  In the 112th Congress the FAA Reauthorization bill will be a top 
priority for the Committee. We will work closely with our colleagues 
across the aisle and in the other chamber to complete a bill as quickly 
as possible.
  So, while I am sorry we were unable to reach agreement on a bill in 
this Congress, I support this extension to keep FAA up and running 
until we complete the bill next year. I urge my colleagues to adopt the 
legislation.
  Mr. COSTELLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6473.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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