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Floor Speech

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Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, in the past year, we have witnessed one aviation failure after another from the Biden administration. They began the year by nominating someone to head the Federal Aviation Administration who didn't seem to know the first thing about aviation.

The administration's Secretary of Transportation has presided over a series of, shall we say, transportation challenges. From near-miss incidents to the first nationwide ground stop since 9/11, the Department doesn't seem to have a handle on its basic function, and that is looking out for the safety of the traveling public.

Now Senate Democrats are blocking the FAA from being reauthorized right before the holidays. And the consequences of this lack of action, it could be really severe. The FAA would lose the ability to collect revenue and spend money from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. That would be disastrous, as the aviation trust fund is one of the few funds in Washington that actually runs a surplus each year.

The Airport and Airway Trust Fund finances important safety improvements for airports across the country, and any lapse in authorization threatens to halt new and existing construction projects.

The FAA would also lose the ability to hire new air traffic controllers at a time when key facilities are experiencing staffing shortages.

Finally, a lapse in authorization could mean 10 percent of FAA's workforce will be furloughed on January 1. Simply put, families who are trying to visit their friends and loved ones for the holidays, they shouldn't have to endure more hoops, hurdles, and delays.

America, we have the best aviation system in the world, and we can't let politics get in the way of that.

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