The $12.5 Billion Already Allocated Seems to Just Be the Tip of the Iceberg

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, shortly after receiving $12.5 billion for the same cause, is looking for lawmakers to put another $19 billion towards the air traffic control system overhaul. However, it seems that Congress won’t bite until it sees meaningful progress from previous efforts.

Duffy is signaling that what’s been allocated so far barely scratches the surface of what he claims is needed for the full modernization effort… lucky for him, the proposal has already earned some high-profile support. House Transportation Chair Sam Graves acknowledged that the $12.5 billion was never supposed to be the only contribution, calling it part of a larger plan that will inevitably require more money. Graves has pledged to help Duffy find funding while admitting that no legislative pathway has been identified as of now.

Enthusiasm drops considerably on the Senate side, where lawmakers are asking a fairly simple question: What has been done with the money already in hand? Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stressed that before Congress even thinks about cutting another multibillion-dollar check, the Department of Transportation will have to prove it can actually deploy the first round of funding effectively. Cruz cited the FAA’s track record with its previous modernization initiative, NextGen, which spent billions over decades without delivering anything close to the promised results.

The skepticism isn’t limited to the Senate. Rep. Troy Nehls, who chairs the House aviation panel, noted that solving the national airspace system’s woes would take a “big number” and a careful, patient approach. He asked, “What’re you gonna say? ‘Let’s try to find another 19 billion dollars tomorrow?’ Where? Right?”

Despite these concerns, the door isn’t entirely closed. If Duffy can get results and streamline the contracting process, there could be bipartisan support for additional funds in the future, especially with the ever-growing concern for aviation safety without well-equipped towers.

FMI: www.transportation.gov