January 23, 2012
National League of Cities
by Leslie Wollack
As Congress returns, facing transportation legislation deadlines, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood urged local officials to push for Congressional action on a transportation funding bill and “put Americans back to work.”
“The easiest way….to put people to work…is through transportation bills” currently before Congress, LaHood told city leaders at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting last week.
LaHood reminded city officials that with the current aviation bill extension set to expire on January 31, Congress will have to reach an agreement on a program that has been extended 22 times already. We “need your help on the FAA bill,” said LaHood. This is “no way to run the safest and best airline system in the world.”
The last extension came after a bitter battle between House Republicans and the Senate that shut many Federal Aviation Administration programs for two weeks until Secretary LaHood was able to broker an agreement.
Key issues include insistence in the House on ending the NLC-supported Essential Air Services for rural communities that would not have commercial air service without the government funded subsidies and a labor dispute over the ability of airline workers to unionize. The Senate supported a short-term extension with no policy changes to keep the program running until Congress was able to reach consensus... FULL ARTICLE
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Mon, January 23, 2012
by John Cox