Aviation

The White House, Senate Democrats and House Republicans ratcheted up their rhetoric over the Federal Aviation Administration shutdown.

President Obama should insist Congress come back into session and end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Airports Council International-North America said Wednesday.

In a letter to the White House, ACI-NA President Greg Principato said that Obama should "call Congress back into session so the FAA is put back in business now, not a month from now.

"Department of Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, in a press briefing at the White House this morning called for Congress to come back in order to put the FAA back in business," Principato wrote. "Airports Council International-North America supports the Secretary’s call for Congress to return, and I am writing to ask that you bring Congress back into session to resolve this issue.

Fresh off signing a bill to raise the federal debt ceiling this week, President Obama said Wednesday that the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration was another example "of how undone work in Washington can have an adverse effect on the economy."

Speaking to reporters during a pool spray for a meeting of his Cabinet Wednesday, Obama said the shutdown that has led to 4,000 FAA workers being furloughed, likely at least until September — an easy thing to fix.

“This is a lose-lose-lose situation that can easily be solved” through a “procedural agreement,” Obama said Wednesday. “This is not the kind of thing that is complicated.”

Because both chambers are in pro forma sessions during recess, Congress can pass a bill to end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday.

About 4,000 FAA workers have been furloughed since July 23 because the House and Senate could not agree on a short-term bill to extend funding for the agency through September. The chambers left for their traditional August recess this week, meaning the shutdown is likely to last until at least September.

But Reid said Wednesday that it didn't have to.

"They could send us a (clean) bill or we could send them a bill and they could pass it because we are in pro forma session," Reid said during a Democratic news conference Wednesday.

Sen. Boxer said conservatives' tactics, agenda amount to "government by hostage taking," and blamed the media for not exposing it.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged lawmakers to come back to Washington and end the partial shutdown.

With the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration looking likely to last until at least September, the FAA Managers Association announced Wednesday it was creating a relief fund for displaced workers of the agency.

About 4,000 FAA workers were furloughed two weeks ago when Congress could not agree on a funding bill for the agency. Despite pleas from transportation officials to pass a bill before they left for their traditional August recess, both chambers adjourned this week until September, meaning it will likely be at least a month before the furloughs end.

The impasse has resulted in FAA research-and-design and safety inspectors, among others, being unpaid, though officials say some inspectors have been flying to work on their own dime.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pointed the finger at Republicans for being “stubborn” and leaving the FAA in a partial shutdown.

After a last-ditch effort to end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) failed Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday morning that Congress could still come back to Washington and vote on an appropriations bill for the beleaguered agency.

On his "FastLane" blog on the Department of Transportation's Website, LaHood said that Congress can come back from recess anytime it wants, just like it can go on break when it chooses.

"It's not too late," he wrote Wednesday. "Congress may have recessed, but it has not adjourned, and our legislators can still act to pass a clean FAA extension. I urge them to do that."

Your morning transportation speed-read:

U.S. Airways and Delta Airlines are offering refunds of money that would have been in airline ticket taxes if Congress had passed an authorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA has delayed rules for pilot fatigue.

Hoboken, N.J., was named the top public-transportation city in the U.S. by Forbes.

Taxicabs in San Francisco will cost more soon.