Senate convenes, more discussion of FAA amendments expected

The Senate convened at 10 a.m. but is expected to have a light schedule Friday, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) reiterated that no votes are expected today.

Today could see more floor remarks from senators who want to discuss their proposed amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill. The Senate hopes to complete work on that bill early in the week of Feb. 14.

Reid said this morning that the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday would report out legislation to fund the FAA.

In the meantime, senators continue to offer amendments to the bill. Eleven new amendments were introduced yesterday, and Senate leaders have said they would consider amendments in pairs — one from a Democrat and one from a Republican.

But both Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said yesterday that they would only focus on amendments related to the FAA. This means several amendments, including some related to healthcare legislation, are not expected to be taken up.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) introduced an amendment yesterday that would appear to be unrelated. It would require an accounting of federal revenue lost due to the Obama administration's oil-and-gas drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico.

But several others are FAA-related, including one from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would require a plan to accelerate the use of unmanned aerial systems. Another from Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would make it easier for airline employees to make contributions to their retirement accounts.