On Thursday the House and Senate reached an agreement on a new FAA extension. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced a bipartisan deal to reopen the FAA and restore the government’s authority to collect airline excise taxes and fund airport construction. The agreement was the result of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood using the waiver authority granted to him by the House-passed extension to waive Essential Air Service (EAS) subsidy cuts for certain communities. The extension passed through unanimous consent Friday morning in the Senate and expected to be signed by the president, ending the two week standoff and reopening the FAA through September 16, 2011.
