Funding the Federal Aviation Administration's NextGen air traffic modernization effort in the coming fiscal year requires sacrifices in other areas of capital investment, says the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The committee voted Sept. 21 to approve its version of the fiscal 2012 spending bill for the Transportation Department; fiscal 2012 starts on Oct. 1. The full House Appropriations Committee has yet to act on its version of the bill, although the subcommittee on transportation, housing and urban development, and related agencies approved a markup of the bill on Sept. 8.

Senate appropriators say in the report accompanying their version of the spending bill that fully investing in NextGen will require reductions elsewhere, "including areas where the agency invests in basic physical infrastructure needs, such as improving its electrical power systems, air traffic control towers, and terminal radar approach control facilities."

The Senate committee also makes significant reductions in NextGen research, engineering and development.

The FAA, the report warns, should expect to see funding constraints grow tighter in future years.

For more:
- go to the THOMAS page for the Senate Appropriations Committee fiscal 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (S. 1596)
- go to a House Appropriations Committee press release about its subcommittee markup

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