FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007
Floor Speech
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - May 06, 2008)
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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as I think everyone on this side of the aisle has made perfectly clear, we do not oppose moving forward with an FAA modernization bill. In fact, we would be more than happy to move forward on the aviation provisions of the Commerce Committee and Finance Committee titles of the bill that are on the Senate floor.
The ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee, Senator Hutchison, has been on the Senate floor for a week flagging the extraneous, nonaviation-related provisions in the Finance Committee package as a problem. She has called repeatedly on the majority bill manager to join her in seeking to remove these extraneous controversial provisions and move forward with a clean FAA bill. Unfortunately, the majority has not accepted her offer to date, and so we find ourselves in a stalemate. I think this is unfortunate and unnecessary. But there is a way to pass this bill in a bipartisan way if our colleagues will only take yes for an answer.
So bearing that in mind, I have indicated to the other side that I would propose a unanimous consent agreement.
I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2972, a bill to reauthorize and modernize the Federal Aviation Administration. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I would ask the Senator to modify his request and include an amendment which includes all of the provisions of my pending amendment.
Mr. McCONNELL. Reserving the right to object, I assume that would put us right back in the same place we are now. I will not restate what I said earlier. But it was my hope, following the advice of the senior Senator from Texas, and our expert on this issue, that we would simply take up and pass those portions of the bill that seemed to be noncontroversial.
The proposal of the Senator from West Virginia puts the controversial measure back before us, upon which we will have the cloture vote shortly. Therefore, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. DURBIN. Will the minority leader yield for a question?
Mr. McCONNELL. I yield the floor.
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