Aviation

Democrats accused House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) of putting cuts to rural airport subsidies in the short funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration in retaliation for Democrats objecting to labor provisions in a larger bill for the agency, but Mica said Friday that all options would be on the table in future negotiations.

The bill that was passed Friday morning to end the partial shutdown of the FAA, which resulted in 4,000 workers being furloughed for nearly two weeks, only funds the agency through Sept. 16.

“The American people have witnessed firsthand how truly difficult it is to bring about even modest reforms and cut wasteful programs in Washington, like $3,720 individual airline ticket subsidies," Mica said of the temporary fix in a statement. “After an absolutely unnecessary two-week delay, and after having imposed hardship on FAA employees, airport construction workers and the American economy, the partial shutdown of our aviation industry will end."

The passage of the measure was unusual in that it took place in a nearly empty Senate chamber.

The deal to end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by having Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood eliminate controversial subsidies for rural flight service in a funding bill for the agency is unconstitutional, a right-leaning group in Washington said this week.

Americans for Prosperity Vice President Phil Kerpen said that the deal, which will end almost two weeks of furloughs for 4,000 FAA workers if it is approved as expected Friday morning, is "in plain violation of what the law says and the basic constitutional principle of separation of powers.

"Senate Democrats shut down the FAA to block a House-passed long-term extension over special-interest union provisions," Kerpen said in a statement. "They blocked a short-term extension to protect egregious pork-barrel spending for 13 rural airports with almost no passengers under the Essential Air Service.

"Now a 'deal' has been announced under which the Senate will pass the House's short-term extension, but the president will somehow keep the pork dollars flowing," he continued. "President Obama cannot unilaterally fund pork. This is unacceptable, and we urge Obama to instead follow the law and allow this wasteful pork spending to end."

Your morning transportation speed-read:

Massachusetts has a new Transportation secretary.

Transportation Security Administration workers at Los Angeles International Airport are undergoing transgender training.

The Department of Transportation announced the release of another $336 million in high-speed-rail money.

A former National Basketball Association player was arrested at St. Louis's Lambert International Airport for having a loaded gun.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday evening that President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) deserved credit for ending the impasse in Congress that partially shut down the Federal Aviation Administration for more than a week.

Appearing on MSNBC’s "Hardball," LaHood said the president held meetings every day at the White House about the FAA shutdown and that the senators agreed to compromise on controversial provisions that were included in the House version of a funding bill for the agency the Senate agreed Thursday to approve.

“The president was intimately involved. He cared a lot about these unemployed construction workers and FAA workers,” LaHood said. “He instructed me and instructed his staff, 'stay on this every day until you get it solved, until these people get back to work.' So the president and Sen. Reid, Sen. Rockefeller, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Sen. Max Baucus, really stepped up here and there is an agreement so people can go back it work on Monday, as soon as the president signs the bill.”

Senate Majority Leader Reid announced that the Senate will pass the House bill and end the week-and-a-half partial shutdown.

Forty percent of the most-delayed daily flights in the U.S. originate at Newark's Liberty International Airport, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Statistics compiled for the paper by the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed that 40 of the top 100 most-often delayed flight numbers were departures from Newark. The two most common were Delta Airlines flights from Newark to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

The flights, Delta Flight Nos. 2743 and 2843, were delayed 60 and 49 percent of the time for an average of 83 and 79 minutes, respectively.

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President Obama has spoken with House Speaker John Boehner about the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday.

Obama has called the impasse, which led to 4,000 FAA workers being furloughed since July 23, "an example of how undone work here in Washington can have an adverse effect on the economy."

But Carney said Thursday that the president and other members of the administration "are actively engaged in trying to find a solution that will put 70,000 Americans back to work," quoting a figure that counts workers who have been pulled off airport construction projects.

The partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration will likely be resolved before next week, a key lawmaker said.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The Transportation Security Administration is testing behavior-detection screening at Boston's Logan Airport.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne isn't sold on electric cars.

Mid-1990s Hondas are the most stolen cars in the country.

A study shows car owners are struggling to afford major car repairs.