Why the FAA is shut down

FAA Shutdown Because Dems Want to Protect Pork

Posted By Capitol Confidential

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has basically been shut down ^[1] thanks to the Senate Democrats addition to pork. 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed until further notice. 70,000 construction workers must now sit on their hands as all airport construction has halted. And the federal government is loosing $200million a week in airline ticket taxes because they are not authorized to legally collect the tax.

What has led to this massive shut down? Senate Democrats refusal to curb a wasteful government subsidy of $200 million known as the Essential Air Service (EAS) program ^[3].

As of last Friday, the FAA has lost its authorization to spend money and levy fees because Congress couldn’t come to an agreement on a transportation bill. House Republicans are currently purposing a temporary transportation bill to last through September allowing time for the two parties to come together on a larger agreement. Included in the bill is a provision that would curb the EAS program.

The EAS program was originally created in 1978 as a subsidy to help out small and rural airports as the government stepped back from regulating routes and fares. The program was intended to last 10 years. Over three decades later, the program is still in existence serving over 140 airports; its budget keeps exploding and now the program functions only to subsidize routes that would have been abandoned year ago.

The EAS program subsidizes a rural airport in Lewistown, Montana. In 2007, that airport reported that it averaged .6 passengers per flight. Last year, an EAS route between Atlanta and Macon made many flights without a single passenger on board, which resulted in an annual per-passenger subsidy of $464 ^[4] to keep that route running. And in Kansas, EAS pays three airports in Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal to remain open. All are within 75 miles of each other ^[5].

Over the last decade, the EAS budget has increased 300 percent from $50 million to $200 million as of last year.

With all these blatantly ridiculous examples of government waste, the House and Senate have already agreed to limit EAS eligibility to communities that are located 90 miles or more from a large- or medium-sized airport, saving $12.5 million annually.

Further, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) included in the House version ^[6] of the temporary extension a provision that would prohibit EAS subsides that exceeded $1,000 per passenger which would end service to three rural airports (Ely, NV, Alamogordo/Holloman AFB, NM, and Glendive, MT) and save $4.1 million annually.

Considering how outrageous subsidizing even $1,000 per passenger is, it is amazing that Senate Democrats led by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) continue to oppose the temporary reauthorization bill.

The American people need to stand with Congressman Mica, and insist we stop this ridiculous government waste of taxpayer dollars any more.

Is it any wonder we have a debt crisis?