Grounded — 05/10/08

May 09, 2008 03:14 pm

— A sensible air safety bill that has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives has been grounded in the Senate. However, the reason for the bill’s apparent demise has nothing to do with air safety. Instead, the bill was thwarted by other unrelated provisions added to it.
Among the bill’s provisions was money to modernize the air traffic control system and create different ways for airports to finance expansions. Of particular interest to communities like ours that are served by small airports, the bill included guarantees of air service to small communities. Also included was a passengers’ “bill of rights.” Among the “rights” it guaranteed were the requirement that airlines provide food, water and bathrooms in the event of significant delays on the tarmac.
So what caused the bill to stall in the Senate? Well, it was the $1.7 billion Senate Democrats added to it in 9/11 money for New York City, $5 billion in new money for the Highway Trust Fund, and $1 billion in backing for rail infrastructure bonds. Republicans objected — but not because they suddenly became fiscally responsible. Instead, GOP senators complained that the Democratic leadership would not allow them to add their own pork to the bill.
The demise of the bill comes at a time when passengers have had their travel plans impacted by thousands of canceled flights and long delays at airports. If that’s not an indication of the need to overhaul the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control system, then we don’t know what is.
The failure of the bill caused Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., chairman of an aviation subcommittee, to opine that “the aviation system is on the verge of collapse.” That may be a bit of an exaggeration — but not much.
The bill still could be revived in the Senate, minus the unrelated projects. That would be the wisest action, but insiders predict real reform will have to wait until 2009 — or longer.