Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this extension of the FAA. We need to pass this reauthorization. To do so, we need a little more time. This will be the third extension we have asked for, and it is necessary to have this extension for 2 months to be able to reconcile the House and Senate bills.

The Senate wasn't as expeditious as the House was in getting their bill passed, but they finally did and got it out of committee. We still have to reconcile some provisions.

I think everybody has read about the near tragedies and near contacts of airplanes flying at airports. That is because the air traffic controllers need more help. They need more air traffic controllers. They need a more diverse group of folks that will give them more people to choose from and to be trained.

We need to have more air traffic controllers, we need to pay them more money, and we need to have some improvements at airports and air traffic towers. That will only happen if we can get this FAA reauthorization bill passed.

There are consumer issues that are important and are included in the bill and disability issues which are in the bill, and we just attended a press announcement where Secretary Buttigieg is implementing many of the mobility issues by executive order and rulemaking. The rulemaking is going to take place soon.

There are a lot of improvements in air traffic and air safety, but without the reauthorization bill passing, they won't happen. We need to have this extension. It is unfortunate, but the Senate took a long time. We will work it out and get it done.

I appreciate Ranking Member Larsen and Chairman Graves on the full committee and Chairman Garret Graves on the Subcommittee on Aviation.

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