Source: Tom Williams / Getty
WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday.
The bill will make sure the FAA is still up and running when the current reauthorization from 2022 expires in September. It will keep funding going to the administration and focuses on key details related to airport and infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity, pilot training, drone integration, and more.
An amendment to the bill was authored by Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN-2nd) which would push the FAA to get creative when it comes to hiring more air traffic controllers.
“This amendment, which was developed in a bipartisan manner, extends the requirement that the FAA take a maximal approach to hiring air traffic controllers,” Yakym said. “This summer we’ve seen headlines, and I’ve heard from constituents, and maybe some of you have even experienced delayed flights and the chaos that can bring.”
Yakym said some of that chaos is caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers. He told his colleagues on the House floor that hiring of ATCs is not keeping up with attrition.
“Short-staffed facilities impose mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks, which isn’t sustainable for the controllers that we have,” said Yakym. “An inspector general report recently found that the FAA ‘lacks a plan to address the controller shortage’.”
The vote for the reauthorization bill was 351-69.
Rep. Victoria Spartz was one of the few who voted against the measure. She’s upset that more amendments from committees she sits on were not added to the bill.
It now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate for consideration.
