The Hill News

Robert Poole’s assertion in his recent column ("Rethinking the FAA budget," 2/7/11) that the General Fund contribution to the FAA should be lessened or eliminated is unfortunately way off base.

First, there is a long precedent of using General Fund contributions from the U.S. Treasury to help fund the Federal Aviation Administration because our nation's system of airports is a national priority and a benefit for all Americans. In spite of Poole’s alarmist rhetoric, as recently as 2003, the General Fund contribution to help fund the FAA was at 25%.  While it’s true that the Trust Fund expenditures increased beyond that l! evel in 2010, undoubtedly due to the economic downturn, that contribution was at a much greater level decades ago.

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