Virginia senators vow to delay FAA extension without vote on Reagan flights
Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) say they won’t agree to fast-track a one-week extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act unless colleagues commit to holding a vote on their amendment to eliminate a provision to add five new round-trip flights to Reagan Washington National Airport.
The senators argue that passing a one-week extension of the FAA reauthorization will only give Senate leaders enough time to run out the procedural clock on the Senate floor to pass the bill next week without allowing any amendments.
They want to put more pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) to come up with an agreement to allow a vote on their amendment before the FAA reauthorization expires Friday.
If the Senate passes the one-week stopgap approved Wednesday by the House, then leaders could wait until sometime next week to pass the longer-term bill and feel less pressure to set up amendment votes.
Kaine and Warner, who are allied with Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Ben Cardin (D), argue that adding five new round-trip flights — five inbound and five outbound — will further overburden Washington’s local airport and create safety hazards.
Kaine has repeatedly spoken on the Senate floor about the near collision between a JetBlue plane and a Southwest Airlines plane in April.
“Last month’s near miss at DCA is a flashing red warning light that this airport is overburdened and that cramming more flights onto the busiest runway in America is a terrible idea,” Kaine and Warner said in a joint statement.
The senators expressed their frustration that neither they nor their colleagues from Maryland have had the chance to shape the bill when it was being crafted in the Senate Commerce Committee.
“But now, the same senators who crafted a provision in the FAA bill to do just that, behind closed doors and against the advice of all four capital region senators, are asking us to smooth a procedural path to the finish line for that bill without a promise to bring our amendment—or any amendment—up for a vote,” Kaine and Warner said.
“We can’t in good conscience greenlight that plan until we have a commitment that there will be an opportunity to put our amendment to a vote, and to persuade our colleagues to prioritize the safety of millions of passengers over a few senators’ desire for a direct flight home,” they said.
Date: |
Filter
-
FIFA Delays a Vote on Palestinian Call to Bar Israel
FIFA said it would solicit legal advice before taking up a motion from the Palestinian Football Association to suspend Israel over its actions in Gaza and the West Bank.The New York Times - World - Israel -
Premier League clubs to vote on scrapping VAR and what 2023-24 table would look like without it
The vote will take place on June 6 at the league's annual general meetingCBS Sports - Sports -
The Downside of Delayed Gratification
We’re all told that it pays to be disciplined in our spending and consumption. But the advice can backfire.The Wall Street Journal - World -
WNBA charter flights to be fully set by next week
All WNBA teams will be using the league's new charter flight program by early next week, a spokesman told ESPN.ESPN - Sports - WNBA -
Mexico’s main opposition candidate vows to confront cartels
Xóchitl Gálvez says ordinary people have taken too many bullets under Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidencyFinancial Times - Business -
Revolutionary War barracks, chewed-on ammunition unearthed in Virginia
The barracks included chimney bricks, officers' jewelry and musket balls that soldiers chewed on because of their sweet taste.CBS News - Top stories -
Google Asks for Bench Trial in Antitrust Case in Virginia
The tech giant wants a judge, not a jury, to decide whether it broke antitrust laws and monopolized the technology that powers its lucrative online ad business, mostly because it says the case is too complicated for jurors to follow.Inc. - Business - Google -
Youngkin vetoes Virginia contraception accessibility act
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed a slew of bills Friday, including one focused on protecting access to contraceptives. “While I look forward to working with the General Assembly to see if we can reach agreement on language in the future, ...The Hill - Politics -
United Airlines says FAA cleared it to start adding new aircraft, routes after safety review
United Airlines said in March that the FAA was stepping up its review of the airline after a series of safety incidents.CNBC - Business -
United Airlines says FAA cleared it to start adding new aircraft, routes after safety review
United Airlines said the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared it to start adding new aircraft and routes months after the regulator stepped up its scrutiny of the carrier following several safety incidents.NBC News - Top stories
More from The Hill
-
The other war: Cuban mercenaries in Ukraine
Fed up with humiliation and mistreatment, Cuban soldiers of the 428th regiment, based in Donetsk, carried out an operation to kill their own regiment's commander.The Hill - Politics - Ukraine -
Biden's proposed tax hike would crush workers and the economy
Biden is eager for more hard-earned money from U.S. taxpayers, and he is willing to drive businesses overseas again by raising corporate tax rates.The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Morning Report — Vulnerable Senate Democrats break with Biden
Six months out from Election Day, some vulnerable Democrats are looking at President Biden’s poll numbers with concern. Some Senate Democrats are distancing themselves from Biden’s ailing brand after polls show him trailing former President Trump ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Schumer tees up round two for bipartisan border bill
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is tee-ing up a second attempt at passing the bipartisan border bill — after Republicans blocked it earlier this year — a move that comes as the situation at the southern border remains top of mind for ...The Hill - Politics -
Democratic group targets Republicans over IVF in Arizona
A Democratic super PAC is targeting Republicans over the issue of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the battleground state of Arizona as Democrats ramp up their attacks on reproductive access ahead of the 2024 election. Progress Action Fund, which ...The Hill - Politics - Republican Party