January 23, 2025
Yesterday, leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees met to begin the process of finalizing fiscal year 2025 (FY25) spending bills for the federal government. Efforts continue to reach an agreement on overall spending levels for FY25 so that spending decisions on individual programs, including those at DOT/FAA and DHS/TSA/CBP, that are important to airports can then be finalized. Committee leaders hope to begin detailed negotiations quickly and reach an agreement before the current continuing resolution expires on March 14.
Today, AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli weighed in with House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders once again urging them to support airport funding priorities as they work to finalize the FY25 spending bills for both DOT/FAA and DHS/CBP/TSA. A copy of the letter to House leaders may be viewed here, and the letter to Senate leaders is here.
In the letter, Hauptli urges lawmakers to appropriate $4 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in FY25 -- the same amount that Congress authorized in the FAA reauthorization law. Hauptli pointed out that full funding for AIP will “help airports meet their infrastructure needs and ensure that there is sufficient funding to meet formula changes approved in the FAA law….”
Hauptli also urged lawmakers to maintain funding for supplemental discretionary grants and Congressional earmarks and to appropriate $350 million for PFAS replacement program to help commercial service airports transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam. Further, he called on Congress to increase funding for the FAA Contract Tower Program and to support the Essential Air Service and Small Community Air Service Development programs.
Within the DHS spending bill, Hauptli urged lawmakers to restore funding for TSA LEO reimbursement grants and canine teams; continue TSA staffing at airport exit lanes; and provide sufficient resources for proper TSA and CBP staffing levels and technologies at airports. In addition, the letter asks Congress to rescind TSA’s requirement for airports to procure and utilize explosive detection screening equipment to screen aviation workers, a very costly endeavor that parallels and duplicates what TSA already has in place for travelers.
Request:
As lawmakers attempt to finalize spending bills for FY25, we would appreciate your assistance in amplifying our message on these key priorities. With so many new members and leaders, we need to highlight these issues across Capitol Hill, but this outreach is especially important if your Representative or Senator is a member of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee.
Thank you for your assistance!