House poised to pass FAA bill, veto threatened

[April 01, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House is moving toward passage of a sweeping aviation bill packed with controversial safety and labor provisions.

A final vote on the Republican-drafted bill is expected on Friday.

It provides a blueprint for Federal Aviation Administration programs for the next 3 1/2 years while cutting the agency's budget by about $4 billion.

The bill also ends subsidies for airline service to remote communities, with the exception of airports in Alaska.

The Senate has passed its own, very different version of the bill. Differences between the two bills remain to be negotiated.

The White House has threatened to veto the bill if the spending cuts and a provision that would roll back a new rule making it easier for airline and railroad workers to organize a union are retained.

[Associated Press; By JOAN LOWY]

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