According to officials with Helicopter Association International, who have been closely following negotiations between the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to iron out differences between competing bills to reauthorize the FAA, it appears the legislation could be dead for the year, with a 22nd extension due to expire at the end of January, with congressional attention at the senior leadership level heavily focused on tax extender legislation.
HAI reports: “The word on the street in Washington is that neither the House nor Senate will consider the FAA bill before the end of the year. When Congress does return in January, scant time remains — just over one week, which equates to five legislative days in the House and five to seven days in the Senate — for lawmakers to come to an agreement on the FAA bill before the current extension expires on Jan. 31, 2012.”
