Rep. Shuster withdraws FAA amendment opposed by Capt. 'Sully,' Continental accident victims

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) has withdrawn an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration bill that riled families of victims of a recent plane crash and a famous pilot who averted one.

Families of victims of Continental Airlines flight 3407 and former U.S. Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who landed a disabled jetliner safely on the Hudson River in New York City, strongly opposed an amendment by Shuster that would have added more analysis requirements before the FAA could issue new rules.

Shuster had argued the changes would improve the FAA's rulemaking process, but Sullenberger and the 3407 families said it would hold-up needed safety changes.

Friday, Shuster said he was withdrawing the amendment, in the interest of getting a longer-term FAA spending bill approved.

"The purpose of my amendment is to increase safety across the board and to improve the rule making process at the FAA," he said in a statement. "I am dedicated to ‘one level of safety’ and continue to strive to keep our transportation industry safe and economically viable.

"However, after 4 years of delay and 18 short term extensions, it is vital that Congress pass the long overdue FAA Reauthorization bill," Shuster continued. "It is apparent that the inclusion of my amendment in the FAA bill may slow down conference negotiations and delay the adoption of this critical legislation to dramatically reform and streamline Federal Aviation Administration programs, modernize the nation’s aviation system, and spark much needed job-creation through aviation infrastructure improvements. Therefore, I have withdrawn my amendment to remove this possible impediment to the bill’s final adoption and enactment.”

Next week, the House will take up a 19th stopgap measure to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, though the Obama administration and House Republican leaders have both said they would rather see a long-term funding bill. That is being held up however by a dispute over labor rights for airline and railroad employees.

The House and Senate have passed vastly different versions of the bill. Among the differences is a labor provision that would reverse new rules adopted by the National Mediation Board that would make it easier for workers to organize.  That provision is in the House bill but not the Senate legislation.

Additionally, the House passed a four-year, $59 billion measure, while Senate passed a two-year, $34.5 billion bill.

The current short-term FAA funding bill ends May 31.