Obama Signs Measure Ending FAA Shutdown

 Updated:
8/5/2011 4:00:00 PM

President Obama signed legislation Friday ending a two-week partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Associated Press reported.

The move, which followed hasty action by the House and Senate Wednesday and Thursday, clears the way for thousands of furloughed workers to return to work and for hundreds of airport construction projects around the country to resume, AP said.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had been vocal in calling for Congress to approve a deal to get the FAA stalemate ended.

“I’m thrilled for our dedicated FAA employees who will be able to go back to work on Monday. And I’m thrilled for the tens of thousands of hardworking workers who can go back to airport construction sites around the country,â€� LaHood said in a statement posted on the White House website Friday.

The Senate had used a “unanimous consent� procedure in which took less than 30 seconds to approve the measure and end the furloughs, which had halted construction projects, idled thousands of construction workers and temporarily suspended collection of federal aviation taxes.

Just two senators were present to approve a House-passed bill extending FAA’s operating authority through mid-September; the remaining members of Congress began their August recess earlier this week, AP reported.

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