By Adrian Schofield
Aviation Week
11/18/2009

It is looking increasingly unlikely that an FAA reauthorization bill can be
passed by yearend, meaning yet another short-term extension is on the
horizon.

FAA is currently operating under a three-month extension that expires Dec.
31, leaving little time for a full reauthorization bill to be completed. A
Senate floor vote would have to occur by early December at the latest to
meet the yearend deadline, and a congested legislative schedule makes that
a long-shot, industry sources say.

The House has already passed its version of reauthorization and it has been
putting pressure on the Senate to do the same. The bill has actually been
approved by the Senate Commerce Committee, but the holdup has been the
Senate Finance Committee, which has authority over tax and fee increases.

Senate leadership has made the right noises about FAA reauthorization being
a priority, and the bill is expected to only need two days of floor debate
if that much time can be found on the calendar. However, even if the Senate
does pass the bill, it would have to resolve differences with the House
version in conference committee.

The current extension was proposed by House lawmakers in September, with
the three-month duration aimed at putting pressure on the Senate to take
action. If another extension is required, it will be the eighth since the
agency's last authorization expired two years ago.

Airport groups in particular have urged Congress to pass an FAA bill this
year, and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has
also stressed this timeline.