Authorizing Use of Passenger Facility Charges From One Airport At A Previously Associated Airport

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4369, as you heard, is a bipartisan, narrowly tailored bill to address a time-sensitive issue in southern California that impacts the Ontario and Los Angeles International Airports, both of which serve my district in southern Nevada.

This bill has the support of my colleagues from southern California, and I appreciate them coming to the floor today to speak about its importance to their districts.

Mr. Speaker, when one airport authority takes ownership of an airport from another authority, there needs to be a process by which that new authority can repay the passenger facility charges that were collected up to that point. This bill would provide such a mechanism.

There is urgency in addressing this issue, as the current transfer authority between these two airports is set to expire at the end of this year. I support that, but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that, while we stand on the floor today discussing this urgent matter affecting our aviation system, we are mere weeks away from the expiration of the third extension of the current FAA authorization bill.

Months ago, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed legislation which includes numerous time-sensitive and important provisions. Yet, because of a proposal to privatize our air traffic control system, I, along with my fellow Democrats on the committee, were forced to oppose the bill. Meanwhile, our Senate colleagues have passed a bipartisan FAA bill with overwhelming support.

Mr. Speaker, again, I am in favor of this legislation that we are considering today, but it is my sincere hope that we will see a similar urgency in addressing other aviation needs, like the needs of large airports like McCarran International Airport, in my district; the need to extend the authorization for the unmanned aerial test ranges; the need to develop a low-altitude air traffic management system for UAS operations; and the need to address a number of the important issues that are facing our Nation's airspace that are in the FAA reauthorization bill.

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Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have no further speakers. I just want to say that I support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I also admonish them to show the same degree of urgency when it comes to reauthorizing the FAA.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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