WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) is calling for quick enactment of legislation she has cosponsored, the Aviation Jobs and Safety Act of 2011 (H.R. 2644), that would provide for a short term funding extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the critically important Airport Improvement Program. The current shutdown of the Airport Improvement Program has stalled many projects improving the conditions of America's airports, laying off thousands of workers in the process. Projects at several airports on the Central Coast, including those at Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, have been or soon will be affected.

"Our airports on the Central Coast are engines for economic growth in our region. But funding for critical infrastructure improvements to improve safety and reduce congestion, many already underway, has been needlessly delayed. In tough economic times, this is simply unacceptable. The Republican House leadership needs to bring a noncontroversial extension of FAA programs to the House floor for a vote right away so these critical airport projects can get back on track and we can put people back to work," said Capps.

Additionally, Capps sent a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, urging him to expedite the release of funding available under the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) when a reauthorization of expired FAA programs is eventually signed into law.

The expiration of the FAA programs could halt the distribution of federal funds at the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo airports. It's estimated that up to 90,000 construction jobs nationwide are in jeopardy due to the halt in construction projects. In total, $130 million for projects at California airports have been delayed; including a nearly $500,000 contract with Jacobs Project Management Company to seismically retrofit the Santa Maria Air Traffic Control Tower. The Santa Barbara Airport, which is completing construction of a new terminal building, is awaiting its reserve funds to complete its work due to the delay of a $2 million construction grant. And more recently, the San Luis Obispo County Airport received an $875,000 Airport Improvement Program grant to rehabilitate its runways and purchase needed safety equipment.

Background:

Pending enactment of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, Congress has passed 20 short-term extension acts without controversial policy provisions since 2007 to extend the FAA's authority to administer aviation programs. Breaking with precedent, the 21st short-term extension that the House Republican leadership crafted and the House passed last week contained extraneous provisions that had not been agreed upon in advance. Despite being warned that such provisions could not pass the Senate, Republican leaders chose to attach these provisions to a must-pass short-term funding extension and forced a partial FAA shutdown at a cost of $200 million per week in lost revenue. The legislation Capps co-sponsored, HR 2644, would provide for a "clean" extension of FAA programs as they are currently written.

Read this original document at: http://capps.house.gov/2011/07/capps-calls-on-house-leadership-to-get-airport-improvement-projects-restarted-now.shtml