Senator holds up passage of FAA funding extension

WASHINGTON – A Senate squabble threatened to put about 80,000 Federal Aviation Administration employees and airport construction workers back on indefinite paid leave Saturday, but negotiators were hopeful the Senate would agree to at least extend FAA funding by this afternoon.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., held up the expected Senate passage of an FAA and highway projects funding extension bill, which passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. FAA funding will expire this Friday unless a compromise is reached.

Coburn said on the floor that he would approve a separate bill approving FAA funding, but refuses to pass the bill as is without an amendment to the highway funding portion of the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called Coburn a “dictator” for holding up passage of the short-term funding extension for the FAA, which would last until January of next year.

Less than two months ago, those same jobs were on furlough for two weeks before senators compromised. In addition to putting people out of work, the Senate’s previous stalemate kept the FAA from collecting at least $350 million in taxes from airline carriers.

Coburn wants to amend the extension bill to eliminate a provision that forces states to spend 10 percent of the federal highway trust money given on “transportation enhancements” for bike paths, landscaping and similar projects. He said he isn’t against states spending money on such projects, but is opposed to forcing states to spend money on those projects.

“One in four bridges in California are in jeopardy and we’re looking at aesthetics?” Coburn said. “I know my own senior senators may not like what I’m doing, but it is absolutely the right thing to do.”

For the last six years, the highway trust fund has not made enough money from the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax, forcing Congress to take increasing amounts of money from the general Treasury. This year the Congressional Budget Office estimates the highway trust fund will run a $7 billion deficit, which is then predicted to double to $14 billion in fiscal year 2012.