Saying that the effort to create a user-funded independent air traffic control organization is unlikely to win support in the U.S. Senate at this time, Senate Commerce Committee chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) and ranking Democrat Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) are urging their House counterparts to move forward on a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill without the ATC proposal. In a May 24 letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and ranking Democrat Pete DeFazio (D-Ore.), the senators noted that they believe the Senate-passed reauthorization bill could capture overwhelming House support. “With only six weeks remaining on the legislative calendar before funding for the FAA is set to expire, we urge you to move this bill or a similar companion measure forward in the House of Representatives as quickly as possible,” they said.

The senators acknowledged the work already done on reauthorization in the House and in particular on the independent ATC organization. “We understand the commitment to this proposal, but the Senate is far from reaching a consensus on this issue,” they wrote. “Thus, we believe expeditious House passage of the Senate bill or a similar measure provides the only viable opportunity this year to deliver a bill to the President.…Time is of the essence.”

The Senate passed its version of FAA legislation in April by a 95-3 vote. The House T&I Committee approved the long-term FAA bill—with the ATC measure—in February. But the House bill has stalled in the House over the ATC measure.