Congress has left itself a lot to do when it returns in September. The two lawmaking bodies deferred work on several major construction spending and appropriation bills until after their August recess. Chief among this legislation is the reauthorization of the transportation, aviation, and water-resources bills.

Before leaving town, Senate Republicans also halted work on a new omnibus energy bill, instead voting to re-approve last year’s version, which the Democrats had authored when they had control of the chamber. In making the shift, Republicans abandoned a plan pushed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.). This is an effort, some say, to ensure there is agreement with the House, which approved its energy legislation in April. Now, with difficult questions being asked about the reliability of our nation’s power supply, negotiators are set to revisit the contentious and complicated details when Congress returns from the recess. Lawmakers will also be looking at construction retrofit and incentives for energy conservation. The AIA has been encouraging such initiatives and will continue to do so as the energy bills go to conference committee.

In addition, House and Senate Republican conferees have reached final agreement on legislation to extend federal aviation programs for four years, including a $20 million increase to $3.4 billion in airport construction grants, plus as much as $500 million a year for airport security projects, Engineering News-Record reports. The Airport Improvement Program funding would then be increased by $100 million in each of the next three years, topping out at $3.7 billion in 2007. Conferees also retained language in the bill that ensures that aviation user fees are spent on construction and other aviation programs and authorized $500 million annually for airport security work. Democrats are unhappy with the bill because of a Federal Aviation Administration labor proposal to privatize U.S. air-traffic controllers.

Leftover transportation legislation affects livable communities
As Congress advances slowly toward a six-year federal highway and transit reauthorization measure, the AIA continues to work independently and through the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP)—a broad coalition of transportation, environmental, historic preservation, and urban affairs organizations—to preserve and enhance the legislation’s livability and urban/facility design elements, including historic preservation protections. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) recently commented to AIA Government Affairs staff that the transportation bill is likely to slip pass the September 30 reauthorization deadline and possibly into next year, forcing Congress to consider legislation to extend funding temporarily until a full reauthorization bill can be completed.

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