[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 332]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          FAA REAUTHORIZATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 25, 2012

  Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of a 
quick conclusion and passage of a multi-year Federal Aviation 
Administration Authorization. On Friday afternoon, I was pleased to see 
that a compromise was reached regarding language on union elections 
under the National Mediation Board. It was almost a year ago on 
February 11, 2011 that the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and 
Safety Improvement Act was introduced. During this time, Congress 
passed five extensions contributing to the now 23 short-term extensions 
that the FAA has operated under for several years.
  Twenty-three times the FAA and thousands of employees who rely on the 
FAA have faced potential shutdowns and uncertainty due to Congressional 
inaction, with one two-week shutdown resulting in millions of dollars 
in lost federal revenue. The impact of these extensions is not limited 
to instability for Americans in the aviation industry and a loss of 
federal revenue.
  The lack of a multi-year authorization has stalled the implementation 
of the NextGen aviation system. When fully implemented, NextGen will 
allow for a more dynamic aviation system by allowing for quicker and 
more fuel efficient routes for aircraft and a more flexible aviation 
system. Each delay places our domestic aviation industry at risk of 
falling behind their international competitors. The passage of a multi-
year FAA authorization bill ensures that NextGen will move forward and 
allow the United States to remain ahead of the world in implementing 
this system.
  I am confident that the FAA extension we passed earlier this week is 
the last extension needed to complete this process. When the remaining 
issues are resolved, we will be able to provide the aviation industry 
stability and show to the American people that Congress can work 
together and accomplish something.

                          ____________________