House approves short-term FAA funding

The House on Tuesday afternoon approved legislation that funds the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through airport taxes through Feb. 17, a move that is meant to extend short-term funding just one last time before a long-term funding deal is reached next month.

The House approved the bill, H.R. 3800, by voice vote after a brief debate in which House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) promised that a long-term deal is now in reach.

"If we want to see Americans back to work we'll pass this legislation by the 17th of February, and then we'll come back in the next week or two and we will pass a long-term infrastructure transportation measure," he said.

Republicans and Democrats have reached an agreement on labor that most see as progress that should lead to a final deal. The agreement would require that 50 percent of airline employees agree to form a union before a union election is called.

House passage of the FAA bill sends it to the Senate, which could approve it as early as this week.