Senator Boxer, Mayor Villaraigosa Note Impact On LAX Upgrades

With so many politicians criticizing the partial shutdown of the FAA in July, it's a wonder they can't all take a long-term FAA authorization bill seriously. The FAA's latest short-term lease on life will expire in less than three weeks, and California Democrats Senator Barbara Boxer and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Tuesday (pictured) joined the call to avoid another interruption in FAA funding and the projects and jobs it supports.

The Daily Breeze reports they spoke at Los Angeles International Airport's Flight Path Museum, following Boxer's visit to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, a $1.5 billion project which is part of a makeover for the nation's third-largest airport.

The paper reports the partial shutdown in July prevented federal inspectors from working on the project or commenting on  environmental documents in progress, according to airport officials. While air traffic controllers and other FAA workers essential to real-time safety were kept working, about 4,000 others, and an estimated 70,000 construction workers, were idled during the impasse. The last attempt at a reauthorization bill failed when Republicans, who wanted to includes cuts in subsidies to airlines to serve small markets, and Democrats, who wanted a provision giving unions more power to organize, deadlocked.

Describing her visit, Boxer commented, "What I saw from this vantage point is a huge airport construction project that's employing a large number of people." She called on Republican House Speaker John Boehner to appoint members of a conference committee who would attempt to resolve differences between Senate and House versions of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill.

Villaraigosa added, "It's time to put the people before politics, work together to put people back to work."

FMI: www.faa.gov