House Clears Continuing Resolution and Third FAA Extension

February  29, 2024

On February 29, the House passed a continuing resolution that will avert a partial government shutdown and a separate bipartisan bill to extend aviation programs and excise taxes through May 10. This action clears the way for the Senate to pass the two measures before upcoming deadlines.
 
Continuing Resolution: Funding for the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration and several other federal departments and agencies is set to expire tomorrow at midnight. The continuing resolution approved by the House today would extend through March 8 funding for DOT/FAA and a group of other agencies included in six of the 12 fiscal year 2024 funding bills, giving lawmakers another week to finalize an agreement on those measures.
 
The measure would also extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration, and other federal agencies covered by the six remaining annual spending bills through March 22. During today's discussion, several GOP members spoke out against the continuing resolution and argued that it would only kick the can down the road. But the House approved the measure by a vote of 320-99.
 
FAA Extension: Coupled with the first two short-term extensions, the latest stop-gap measure through May 10, H.R. 7454, would provide the FAA with slightly more than seven months of authorized funding. That translates into more than $2 billion for AIP and another $340.3 million for supplemental discretionary grants.
 
Passage of another extension will give lawmakers more time to resolve their differences between the FAA bill that the House approved last July and the one the Senate Commerce Committee cleared earlier this month. Staff from the two authorizing committees are already beginning to have bicameral discussions to help produce a final bill.
 
Lawmakers will also need to figure out a path forward on some controversial issues including the 1,500-hour training rule, the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots, slots at DCA, and a proposal to require TSA and ultimately airports to provide security escorts for Members of Congress, other Federal officials, and the families and staff when they travel through airports.
 
The Senate is expected to pass the latest stop-gap measure before the current extension expires on March 8. During today's floor debate, House Aviation Subcommittee Chair Garrett Graves (R-LA) told his colleagues that 'this is the last temporary extension we're going to do.'