Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole says a $65 billion transportation bill approved a House Committee he chairs is critical to the FAA’s air traffic control academy in Oklahoma.
The fiscal year 2024 THUD bill, which refers to Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, won approval in th Appropriations Subcommittee.
“Oklahoma has an important relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration, as the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, the FAA’s only air traffic control academy, is in Oklahoma. And I know that the aviation industry is also important to many states’ economies,” said Rep. Cole following this week’s approval.
“This bill prioritizes resources to the FAA to modernize the air traffic control system and train 1,800 new controllers and update and modernize facilities and equipment and fulfill Community Project Funding for airport improvement projects across the country. These measures will undoubtedly bring long-term certainty to the many facets of our nation’s aviation system.”
Rep. Cole said the bill prioritizes critical transportation and housing needs while also spending responsibly.
“Totaling $65.208 billion, 25 percent below the current year, the priorities put forth in this legislation would benefit every congressional district across the nation, deliver on needed transportation safety updates to ensure roads and railways are safe to freight haulers and the public, aims to offset plummeting housing receipts and the inflationary burden on the American people and scales back the Biden Administration’s regulatory overreach.”
He said the measure also will provide more than $60 billion in updates for highways and bridges and meets the president’s request for safety programs. Cole added it also enacts housing assistance programs to allow Americans to move up and out of rental assistance instead of staying locked in a program for a lifetime.
Cole delivered extensive remarks during the Appropriations Committee’s markup of the bill. Video available here and transcript here.
Source: Cole release