House cuts FAA budget, but money will be restored
The House approved the FAA’s fiscal year 2000 budget Wednesday, but a procedural ruling eliminated $5.9 billion for FAA operations (which includes air traffic controller and safety inspector salaries).
The cut won’t become reality.
“When the process is completed, the FAA, the safety of airways, will be in good shape,” said Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Most of the money will be restored in conference committee, where differences between House and Senate appropriations bills are resolved.
The procedural ruling that cut the operations budget hinged on the “technicality” that the FAA’s legal authority to function—its authorization—has not yet been renewed by Congress.
That authorization, contained in the landmark AIR-21 (see “House passes landmark aviation bill”), has been approved by the House, but not yet by the Senate.
June 24, 1999
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