[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1956-1959]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                AIRPORT AND AIRWAY EXTENSION ACT OF 2008

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5270) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend 
the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust 
Fund, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5270

       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 2008''.

     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 
     ``February 29, 2008'' and inserting ``June 30, 2008''.
       (b) Ticket Taxes.--
       (1) Persons.--Clause (ii) of section 4261(j)(1)(A) of such 
     Code is amended by striking ``February 29, 2008'' and 
     inserting ``June 30, 2008''.
       (2) Property.--Clause (ii) of section 4271(d)(1)(A) of such 
     Code is amended by striking ``February 29, 2008'' and 
     inserting ``June 30, 2008''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on March 1, 2008.

     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 ``March 1, 2008'' and inserting ``July 1, 
     2008'', and
       (2) by inserting ``or the Airport and Airway Extension Act 
     of 2008'' before the semicolon at the end of subparagraph 
     (A).
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Paragraph (2) of section 9502(f) 
     of such Code is amended by striking ``March 1, 2008'' and 
     inserting ``July 1, 2008''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on March 1, 2008.

     SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND OTHER 
                   AUTHORITIES.

       (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 (3);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(5) $2,756,250,000 for the 9-month period beginning 
     October 1, 2007.''.
       (2) Obligation of amounts.--Sums made available pursuant to 
     the amendment made by paragraph (1) may be obligated at any 
     time through September 30, 2008, 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 9-month period beginning October 1, 
     2007, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
     Administration shall--
       (A) first calculate such funding apportionments on an 
     annualized basis as if the total amount available under 
     section 48103 of such title for fiscal year 2008 were 
     $3,675,000,000; and
       (B) then reduce by 25 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 ``September 30, 2007,'' and 
     inserting ``June 30, 2008,''.
       (c) Government Share of Certain AIP Costs.--Section 161 of 
     the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (49 
     U.S.C. 47109 note) is amended by striking ``in each of fiscal 
     years 2004 through 2007'' and inserting ``in fiscal year 2008 
     before July 1, 2008,''.
       (d) Adjustment Authority.--
       (1) In general.--Section 409(d) of such Act (49 U.S.C. 
     40101 note) is amended by striking ``2007.'' and inserting 
     ``2008.''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect on September 29, 2007, and shall apply with 
     respect to any final order issued under section 409(c) of 
     such Act that was in effect on such date.
       (e) Airport Eligibility.--The first sentence of section 
     186(d) of such Act (117 Stat. 2518) is amended by inserting 
     ``and for the portion of fiscal year 2008 ending before July 
     1, 2008,'' after ``2007,''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5270.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1515

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5270 extends the financing and spending authority 
for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The trust fund taxes and 
spending authority are scheduled to expire on March 1, 2008. H.R. 5270 
extends these taxes at current rates through June 30 of 2008.
  On January 29, 2008, the acting administrator of the FAA sent a 
letter to the Committee on Ways and Means indicating the ability of the 
FAA to provide services in 2008 will be impeded if this extension is 
not enacted. I will include this letter from the FAA for the Record.
  The Committee on Ways and Means reported out a previous extension 
bill with bipartisan support. This bill will keep the Airport and 
Airway Trust Fund taxes and operations in place until the long-term FAA 
reauthorization act is signed into law. I urge the full support of my 
colleagues for this measure.

         U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation 
           Administration,
                                 Washington, DC, January 29, 2008.
     Hon. Charles B. Rangel,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Rangel: Thank you for your continued 
     support to the mission of the Federal Aviation Administration 
     (FAA). As you know, we have a pending reauthorization 
     proposal to establish a cost-based financing system, help 
     address congestion, and make the system more accountable to 
     aviation stakeholders. In the absence of an enacted 
     reauthorization bill, I am writing to you to bring to your 
     attention some serious issues that will impede our ability to 
     provide our services to the country during 2008 if not 
     addressed immediately.


                     Airport and Airway Trust Fund

       The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161) 
     extended the authority to make expenditures from the Airport 
     and Airway Trust Fund only until March 1, 2008. Without an 
     extension of the Trust Fund expenditure authorities, FAA will 
     be unable to obligate funds after March 1 from the Trust 
     Fund. Most notably, our airports, facilities and equipment 
     and research personnel would be immediately sent home, and 
     our remaining personnel funded by the Operations account 
     would follow after funding provided by the General Fund has 
     been fully obligated--most likely in early June. For this 
     reason, we plan to notify employees impacted by the March 1st 
     deadline within the next two weeks.


                         Aviation Excise Taxes

       The Consolidated Appropriations Act only provided a 
     temporary extension of authority

[[Page 1957]]

     for the collection of most of the aviation related excise 
     taxes until February 29, 2008. The authority to collect such 
     taxes should not be allowed to lapse. The uncommitted balance 
     in the Trust Fund is insufficient to sustain FAA operations 
     beyond a few months and a lapse in the authority to collect 
     excise taxes could quickly begin to impact FAA's operations.


                   Airport Improvement Program Grants

       Contract authority for the FAA's AIP program expired on 
     September 30, 2007, however Congress, in a series of 
     continuing resolutions, provided temporary and limited AIP 
     contract authority through December 31, 2007. Without 
     contract authority, we are not able to make any new AIP 
     grants. For the airport grant program, we typically view 
     February 1st as a date when airport sponsors need to have 
     some confidence that grant funds will be forthcoming so they 
     can go out with their bids for construction projects to take 
     full advantage of the construction season. Unfortunately, 
     with the gap in AIP contract authority for fiscal year 2008, 
     we are near the point of losing a portion of this 
     construction season and airport sponsors will have to defer 
     critical safety and capacity projects.
       We are confident that Congress will address these short-
     term issues, but time is of the essence in moving toward a 
     resolution of these matters. We are ready to work with you 
     and other members to enact a reauthorization proposal that is 
     consistent with the goals of the Administration.
       The Office of Management and Budget has advised that there 
     is no objection, from the standpoint of the Administration's 
     program, to the submission of this letter to Congress.
           Sincerely,
                                               Robert A. Sturgell,
                                             Acting Administrator.

  Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I also rise in support of this legislation. 
Congress must not stand by while the financing of our Nation's airways 
are to lapse. The cost to our Nation's economy of doing so would be 
devastating.
  As you know, authorizing legislation permitting the collection of 
aviation taxes and fees sadly expired at the end of the last fiscal 
year. Congress since then has extended that authorization through the 
end of this month in the consolidated appropriations act. It is 
unfortunate, in my view, that Congress was not able to reach an 
agreement with the other body on a longer term solution before 
resorting to temporary extensions.
  I feel that the Ways and Means Committee and the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee worked well together to put together a 
workable bill that would continue financing our system with modest 
changes for a period of 4 years. Four years would have given us enough 
time to allow this body to devote the necessary time to make a close 
examination of the financing of the system and consider the long-term 
changes that technology and the demands of that system are imposing on 
us, something that I believe the Committee on Ways and Means and the 
Select Revenue Subcommittee did not have time to accomplish, despite 
multiple hearings on this issue.
  While today's bill will only extend current law authority through the 
end of June, this is a necessary step in the process. It certainly does 
not speak well of this Congress that we are not able to do these things 
promptly with discipline and do so in a timely fashion, but I believe 
that our committee, Ways and Means, together with the Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee, have provided value added, and I would 
like to believe that given some additional time, that we would have had 
an opportunity to put forward a permanent solution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that it is my 
understanding the delay has been in the Senate, not in the House of 
Representatives, not between the two committees, and not because of 
disagreement from either side of the aisle here, but in the other body. 
It is also my understanding the gentleman is going to be supporting the 
bill in the end. If I am wrong, please indicate for the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate 
the Ways and Means Committee for the good work they have done with the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on coming forward today and 
providing us with an opportunity to do the smart thing, and that is to 
provide this extension for this trust fund.
  Yesterday, in my capacity on the Transportation Security Committee, I 
hosted the Transportation Security Administrator in my district at one 
of my large airports. Obviously, the infrastructure of airports, the 
safety of airports, travels parallel to the security of airports. This 
is a vital fund for cities like Houston, Texas, which happens to have 
one of the top 10 airports in the Nation.
  Airports are sites used by millions and millions of Americans every 
single day, and therefore it is important that the delay of the actual 
completion of a final bill not be used to prevent the flow of dollars 
to protect our airports and provide safe and secure passage for our 
travelers.
  I understand, as my good friend from New York has indicated, that the 
delay is in the Senate. This is the right direction to go. I applaud 
the Ways and Means Committee and Chairman Charlie Rangel, and I rise 
enthusiastically to support this legislation.
  Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. English from 
Pennsylvania, for yielding, and I appreciate the hard work that he and 
members of his committee have done in this area.
  I had the privilege of appearing before his subcommittee as we were 
considering the financing of this legislation. In fact, in September of 
last year, the House considered and passed a bill that resulted from 
that hearing, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, which was H.R. 2881. 
It reauthorized the FAA for the next 4 years. On several occasions 
after that, the House passed bills to extend the FAA programs.
  Unfortunately, the other body has taken no action on any of these 
measures; therefore, the authority of the FAA's essential programs and 
taxes were extended through the end of this month as part of the 
omnibus appropriations act. Regrettably, those FAA programs and 
authorities not extended in the omnibus expired on September 30.
  Additionally, although the omnibus appropriation bill provided money, 
it did not extend the FAA's contract authority, and therefore as of 
December 31, the FAA no longer has the authority to make new 
obligations, including sorely needed Airport Improvement Program grants 
to allow airports to complete vital infrastructure improvement 
projects. The omnibus also included a provision that would prevent the 
FAA from spending any money of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund after 
March 1 of this year.
  Without some congressional action to extend the FAA's authority on 
March 1st, the FAA will be facing a partial shutdown. It is unlikely 
that Congress will be able to send a long-term FAA reauthorization bill 
to the President for consideration before the February 29 deadline.
  We have before us H.R. 5270. This bill would extend the funding and 
expenditure authority of the FAA through June 30 of this year, 2008. 
The bill also extends the taxes funding the Airport and Airway Trust 
Funds through June 30, provides Airport Improvement Program funding 
through September 30, and extends eligibility for essential air service 
subsidies and airport grant funding.
  Ideally, we should be considering the FAA reauthorization conference 
report at this time. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, we 
are considering the third short-term extension of the FAA's authority 
by the House. However, this bill will ensure that our national aviation 
system continues to operate until a full FAA reauthorization can be 
enacted.
  There is much work yet to be done on the FAA reauthorization bill. We 
need to work in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion to pass legislation 
that the President can sign.

[[Page 1958]]

  I support this extension in order to allow us time to accomplish this 
important goal.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
good friend, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the Chair of 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for 
bringing this bill to the floor and for the support of the Republican 
side. Mr. English, it is good to have you participating, and our 
colleague on the committee, Mr. Petri, thank you for your diligent work 
on behalf of aviation issues.
  The House has done its job on aviation. We passed, on September 20, 
the reauthorization act to extend aviation programs through 2011. 
Shortly thereafter, we passed another bill to provide a short-term 
extension of FAA programs. Then in November, we passed another attempt 
to extend aviation programs in the short term.
  Regrettably, our colleagues across the way in the other body have not 
acted on any of these. If we don't act, frankly, the FAA just simply 
runs out of money. It will run out of authority to spend money. It will 
run out of authority to collect the revenues. So the House again, thank 
goodness the Ways and Means Committee is doing its job of carrying the 
load, has brought to the floor with our participation and vigorous 
support an extension of the revenue authority for the FAA programs.
  First of all, we extend with this legislation the aviation taxes. 
Now, that covers 80 percent of FAA's budget. And with an uncommitted 
cash balance of only $1.5 billion, any lapse in the aviation taxes 
could put solvency of the trust fund at serious risk.
  Don't think it can't happen, because that did happen in 1995 when 
Congress allowed the aviation taxes to lapse and the Aviation Trust 
Fund ran out of money. Curiously, ticket prices didn't go down. The 
airlines just kept charging the same price. They didn't give the 
consumer during that period of lapse a break. They just kept on 
collecting taxes, revenues, at the higher level, without giving any 
kind of a rebate on taxes. We don't want to let that happen again.
  The second thing that we do in this legislation is extend authority 
for the FAA to make expenditures from the Aviation Trust Fund. Without 
that, on March 1, FAA will face a partial shutdown. They will not be 
able to pay some 4,000 employees, and a good many of those will be air 
traffic controllers.
  The third provision critical in this legislation is the $2.76 billion 
in contract authority for the Aviation Improvement Program, that is the 
construction program for runways and taxiways, the hard side, the air 
side of the airport. Because the previous authorization expired on 
September 30, there is no contract authority in place now for the AIP 
program in fiscal year 2008. No new airport grants can be made.
  So without this legislation, not only is FAA going to have to lay off 
4,000 employees, they are not going to be able to make grants to 
airport authorities, we will lose tens of thousands of construction 
jobs in building airport capacity, and we will lose the ability to meet 
the needs of aviation capacity out into the balance of this fiscal 
year.
  So the several provisions I have already described, plus many other 
provisions of the previous law, Vision 100, are continued in this 
legislation. We extend that authority through to June 30 in order to 
keep the pressure on the other body to take up our aviation 
authorization bill, which passed our committee with overwhelming 
bipartisan support, passed the House with an overwhelming vote, and yet 
the other body sits over there in splendid isolation as though nothing 
else in the world matters. And I find that very, very disturbing.
  We need to pass this legislation that the House has already acted on 
and let the Senate pass it and get in to conference with us. We will 
get this resolved, we can get it passed and get it to the President in 
very short order. But, meanwhile, we have to take the action embodied 
in the pending legislation, and I urge its support by an overwhelming 
bipartisan vote.
  This legislation would extend the authorization for aviation programs 
and taxes through June 30, 2008. Such an extension is urgently needed 
to address significant budget problems facing the Federal Aviation 
Administration, FAA, due to the current lapse in Airport Improvement 
Program, AIP, funding, and the upcoming expiration of both the aviation 
excise taxes and the authority to make expenditures from the Aviation 
Trust Fund.
  These current and upcoming lapses in FAA's authorities have occurred 
despite repeated efforts by the House to pass legislation to extend 
them. The House has acted on three separate occasions to extend the 
authorization for FAA programs. On September 20, 2007, the House passed 
H.R. 2881, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007,'' to reauthorize FAA 
programs for fiscal years 2008-2011. On September 24, 2007, the House 
passed H.R. 3540, the ``Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act 
of 2007'' to provide a short-term extension of FAA programs. On 
November 6, 2007, the House amended and passed S. 2265, in a subsequent 
attempt to provide a short-term extension of FAA programs. The Senate 
has yet to act on any of these bills, or on any other FAA 
reauthorization legislation.
  As I supported each of these prior attempts to extend FAA's programs 
and financing, I again support the legislation before us today.
  I strongly support the extension of the aviation excise taxes, as 
proposed in H.R. 5270. These taxes are necessary to support the 
Aviation Trust Fund, which in recent years has provided about 80 
percent of the FAA's budget. With an uncommitted cash balance of 
approximately $1.5 billion, any lapse in the aviation taxes could put 
the solvency of the Trust Fund at risk.
  In addition to extending the aviation taxes, a second key provision 
of H.R. 5270 is the extension of the FAA's authority to make 
expenditures from the Trust Fund. Without this authority, the FAA will 
face a partial shut-down beginning March 1st, as it will be unable to 
pay approximately 4,000 of its employees.
  The third key provision of H.R. 5270 is that it provides $2.76 
billion in contract authority for the AIP. Because the previous FAA 
authorization act, Vision 100, expired on September 30, 2007, there is 
currently no contract authority in place for the AIP in FY 2008, and no 
new airport grants can be made. It is our intent that the full $2.76 
billion provided by H.R. 5270 be made available, without regard to any 
previously enacted rescission.
  It is imperative that we reinstate the AIP program immediately. 
Unless we do so, we will lose the Spring construction season, and will 
not be able to do much construction this year, even if the program is 
reauthorized at a later date.
  According to the FAA, a continued lapse in AIP funding will affect 
important safety and capacity projects, including runway safety area 
projects, letter of intent disbursements, runway safety action team 
projects, enhanced taxiway and centerline marking projects, and 
aircraft rescue, firefighting and snow removal equipment. We must act 
now to extend this important program.
  H.R. 5270 also extends several other provisions of Vision 100 so 
that, until a long-term FAA reauthorization bill is enacted, aviation 
programs may be continued under the same terms and conditions as were 
in effect during the previous authorization period.
  But this is only the first step. We need to enact a long-term FAA 
reauthorization bill, which will permit us to go forward on 
modernization of the air traffic control system, and improvement of our 
airports, to combat the ever-increasing inadequacies of the current 
system. Last year, our aviation system had the worst delay record in 
its history. With the number of air travelers predicted to surpass 1 
billion per year by the year 2015, the system is rapidly approaching 
gridlock. I strongly urge the other body to bring their reauthorization 
bill to the floor, so we can go to conference and pass a long-term 
reauthorization of aviation programs.
  I thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member McCrery of the Committee 
on Ways and Means for working with the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure to include the aviation authorization provisions in H.R. 
5270. I also thank my Committee colleagues, Ranking Member Mica, 
Subcommittee Chairman Costello, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Petri, 
for working with me on this critical legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5270.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I think we have made the case here, Mr. Speaker, that it is important 
that

[[Page 1959]]

this legislation go forward to cure an inability of Congress to bring 
closure on this very, very important issue. This is stop-gap 
legislation that is necessary to allow America's aviation system to 
remain airborne, and at a critical time. It is essential that we pass 
this bill in order to ensure that thousands of FAA employees are not 
furloughed through congressional inaction. It is also vitally important 
for communities engaged in an airport construction project, communities 
like my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, that the bill before us 
reinstates the contract authority for the FAA to issue money under the 
Airport Improvement Program.
  I believe that this is an opportunity for us to get this right in the 
coming months. It is essential that the House Ways and Means Committee, 
the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the 
bipartisan leadership of this body engage the Senate in order to pass a 
permanent solution that provides long-term funding for the FAA in a 
manner that is consistent with the fundamental changes in that system 
in order to provide the necessary investment in this essential piece of 
our national transportation infrastructure. I urge my colleagues to 
vote for the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his words of 
support for this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just point out as well, piggybacking on what he 
just said about the airport improvement programs grants, that time is 
of the essence. A failure to move now will further condense the season 
in which we can actually improve the safety and the aesthetics of our 
airports. So I thank him for his support, for recognizing the problems 
not here in this body but with the other body. I thank my friend, as 
well, Mr. Oberstar for pointing that out to us.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5270, the 
Airport and Airway Extension Act. I want to thank Chairman Rangel for 
bringing this to the floor today, as well as Chairman Oberstar and 
Ranking Members Mica and Petri.
  On September 20, 2007, the House passed H.R. 2881, the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2007, a long-term authorization of the Federal 
Aviation Administration's (FAA) programs. However, until H.R. 2881 is 
signed into law, it is important that we extend FAA's programs on a 
short-term basis.
  If Congress does not act before February 29, 2008, the FAA is 
potentially facing significant FY 2008 budget problems due to the lapse 
in funding for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and the upcoming 
expiration of both the aviation excise taxes and the authority to make 
expenditures from the Aviation Trust Fund.
  To address these problems, H.R. 5270 would extend not only the 
aviation taxes and expenditure authority, but also AIP contract 
authority, until June 30, 2008.
  This is not the first time we have passed short-term extensions to 
ensure FAA has the contract authority it needs to make AIP grants. In 
1999 and 2000, as Congress was debating what eventually became the 
Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st 
Century, or AIR 21, we passed 4 extensions of FAA's contract authority. 
Moreover, the House acted on three separate occasions last year in an 
attempt to extend FAA's authorities, including passage of H.R. 2881, 
the 4-year FAA reauthorization legislation. The Senate has yet to act 
on any of these measures.
  We must ensure that this extension passes without further delay to 
not only improve safety and combat delays and congestion but to also 
stimulate the economy.
  H.R. 5270 creates $2.76 billion in AIP contract authority to fund the 
program until June 30, 2008. When annualized, this $2.76 billion 
equates to $3.675 billion for the full fiscal year 2008. H.R. 5270 will 
allow the FAA to make AIP grants, so that airports can take advantage 
of the full 2008 construction season. This, in turn, will put people to 
work and improve the safety and efficiency of our aviation system.
  Aviation is too important to our nation's economy--contributing to 
$1.2 trillion in output and approximately 11.4 million U.S. jobs--to 
allow the taxes or funding for critical aviation programs to expire. 
Until H.R. 2881 is signed into law, we must ensure that FAA has the 
funds it needs to continue its vital programs.
  H.R. 5270 provides a short, 4-month extension to ensure FAA's 
programs remain fully funded, and I urge my colleagues to support the 
bill.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5270.
  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.

                          ____________________