Facts Are Stubborn Things: A Timeline on FAA Congressional Action

Today, Senate Democrats and the White House went on offense to try to put the blame of the current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shut down on Republicans. What they fail to mention is that Senate Republicans three times offered a short-term extension of FAA’s operating authority into September to give House and Senate negotiators more time to iron out the differences between a House-passed FAA bill, and a Senate-passed FAA bill, despite the fact that negotiations have already taken place over the past several months.

In fact yesterday, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was asked if Senate Democrats would accept the short-term House-passed FAA extension, he said:

“Yes… And I think as we -- we learned with this big deal we've just done, sometimes you have to step back and find out what's best for the country and not be bound by some of your own personal issues. And I'm willing to give that up. I hope the other senators would do the same." (Sen. Reid, Media Availability Following Debt Ceiling Vote, 8/2/11)

Below is a timeline of congressional action:

February 17, 2011:
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan long-term FAA Reauthorization bill, S. 223.

April 1, 2011:
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 658 on April 1, 2011.

July 20, 2011:
House passed short-term FAA extension, H.R. 2553, to maintain funding for FAA through September 30th to garner more time to resolve the differences.

July 22, 2011:
Senate Republicans try to take up House-passed extension (UC H.R. 2553)

Senate Democrats Object

July 27, 2011:
Senate Republicans try to take up House-passed extension (UC H.R. 2553)

Senate Democrats Object
August 1, 2011:
House concludes legislative session until September

August 2, 2011:
Senate Republicans try to take up House-passed extension (UC H.R. 2553)

Senate Democrats Object

August 3, 2011:
Senate Democrats Hold News Conference

###

Next Article Previous Article