Progress of the debate has been slow. No votes have been taken on any amendments, several of which that have been offered have no relation to aviation. 

One amendment has been filed that would deal with nonaviation transportation. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, submitted an amendment to cancel any unspent highway earmarks that are more than 10 years old and that have an unobligated balance of 90 percent or greater. Feingold also offered the amendment March 3 to a tax-extenders bill, but did not receive a vote at that time.

Feingold said Thursday that there are $626 million in earmarked funds that would be rescinded if his amendment is adopted. He said any state transportation department or other entity that has not spent its earmarked funds for a decade or more clearly considers that earmark to be unwanted or a low priority. That money could be reclaimed to help reduce the government's budget deficit, he said.

The Senate was able to call up the FAA bill Wednesday by unanimous consent after Tennessee's senators dropped their objections. Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, both Republicans, have expressed concern about a provision in the House's FAA bill (HR 915) that would make it easier for employees of Memphis-based FedEx to unionize locally. The provision is not in the Senate's version, which started out as S 1451 but is now being carried by an unrelated House bill, HR 1586.

FAA's legal authority currently expires March 31. Congress has passed 11 short-term extensions for the FAA since its last long-term authorization bill expired Sept. 30, 2007. A 12th short-term extension is likely if the House and Senate can't agree on the same bill by the end of this month.

The Senate bill would reauthorize the FAA through Sept. 30, 2011. Additional funding for the $34.5 billion legislation would come by increasing the general aviation jet-fuel tax from 21.9 cents per gallon to 36 cents per gallon. Those extra funds would be directed to an Air Traffic Control System Modernization Account to help pay for the effort to install a satellite-based "next generation" system for guiding aircraft. The tax increase would be authorized through Fiscal Year 2013.

Under the current Senate version, the Airport Improvement Program would be funded at $4 billion during this fiscal year and $4.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2011. The program helps states and localities pay for upgrades to their airports.

The Senate has adjourned until 2 p.m. Monday. It will hold a cloture vote on a surface transportation authorization measure (see related story) before returning to consideration of the FAA measure.