Senate may take up FAA reauthorization measure

The Senate may vote on the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization conference report by Friday, according to a source close to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

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 source said. The House approved the conference report last Thursday, after Republican conferees removed all language referring to privatization of the air traffic control workforce.

Many Democrats believe the bill still would allow President Bush to privatize those workers by executive order. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., reiterated Tuesday his plans to filibuster any FAA bill that does not explicitly forbid air traffic control privatization.

Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Tuesday Lautenberg's call for an anti-privatization provision is "just not going to happen." Lott suggested holding up the FAA reauthorization could pose a transportation safety concern.

Senate Republicans say they have enough votes to end a Lautenberg filibuster, but a Lautenberg aide said Tuesday he is confident Democrats have enough votes to prevent cloture. The aide said Lautenberg had gathered "several" colleagues to join him in stalling a vote on the bill.