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The article reports on the prospects of sending back the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization to a U.S. Congress House-Senate conference committee tonight, potentially paving the way for Republicans to remove language from the bill that allows privatization of some air traffic control workers. While in theory both Democratic and Republican conferees want to reopen the legislation to discuss privatization, congressional and industry sources said Republicans plan to strip the privatization language from the bill in order to get enough support to pass it. The privatization provision has emerged as the most contentious aspect of the bill, with Democrats pushing to reinsert language expressly forbidding privatization.

The article reports that Members of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission aired concerns that Pentagon recommendations to keep open drastically stripped-down Air Force bases could devastate local economies. Top service officials responded that several of the scaled-down facilities, including Alaska's Eielson Air Force Base and North Dakota's Grand Forks Air Force Base, would remain up and running largely for tests and training exercises, despite the loss of thousands of military and civilian personnel. The 5,500-acre North Dakota base, for instance, is ideal for unmanned aerial vehicle training flights because of a lack of competing commercial traffic.

The U.S. Senate may vote on the FAA reauthorization conference, according to a source close to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Frist and other senators acknowledged the full legislative schedule might delay the vote until next week, but Senate leaders are working to clear the agenda for an FAA vote this week. The House approved the conference after Republican conferees removed all language referring to privatization of the air traffic control workforce. Many Democrats believe the bill still would allow the U.S. President George W. Bush to privatize those workers by executive order.

The U.S. House and Senate Republicans today reopened—and promptly concluded—conference talks on a $60 billion reauthorization of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration despite the fact that Democrats in both chambers continued to say they will block the package when the bill comes to the Senate floor. Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Trent Lott said that Republicans had decided to drop from the conference report air traffic control privatization language that led to Democratic opposition to the bill and the current impasse.

The article reports that a floor vote on an Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization conference report is expected. A motion to recommit the legislation to the conference committee was expected to pass the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, reopening the bill and allowing Republican conferees to remove controversial language allowing partial privatization of the air-traffic-control labor force. Sources in the House also indicated that Tuesday Senate Republicans would approve a bill with the privatization provisions removed. Spencer Dickerson, of the American Association of Airport Executives, said Tuesday stripping the privatization language might be crucial to passing the reauthorization.

The article reports that a bill instructing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the air traffic controllers union to resume contract talks Wednesday failed to gain support to be introduced to the U.S. House Senate. While the 271-148 vote indicates that the bill clearly enjoys the support of a majority of House lawmakers, it did not receive the necessary two-thirds support to pass under suspension of the rules. Some House Republican leaders, who oppose the bill, agreed to bring it up for consideration under suspension despite opposition from Majority Leader John Boehner and Grand Old Party leaders on the Appropriations Committee.

Lawmakers do not expect any action on the controversial FAA reauthorization this week, according to sources close to both House and Senate conferees on the bill. Although much of the conference debate has focused on a provision allowing partial privatization of the air traffic control workforce, the issue is one of several contentious provisions, including essential air service, aircraft noise regulations, flight attendant security training and a provision on foreign carriers, that conferees still must resolve when they reconvene next week. Senator Frank Lautenberg, who has been one of the most outspoken opponents of privatization, had pushed for a six-month extension of the FAA reauthorization, which lapsed last week.

Reports on the efforts of U.S. Republican Ed Gillespie to lobby for an air traffic control legislation in the U.S. Senate in April 2003. Benefits of the legislation to Air Traffic Controllers Association; Provisions of the legislation.

Reports that the Executive Committee of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations' Transportation Trade Department is endorsing legislation by Senator Frank Lautenberg which is designed to force U.S. administration to designate air traffic control as an inherently governmental function. Reclassification of air traffic control by the administration; Factors responsible for the change.