Congress Unveils $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill with No Increase in Airport Tax

By Paul Riegler on 21 March 2018
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The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Congress introduced a bipartisan $1.3 trillion spending package late Wednesday ahead of a midnight Friday deadline.

The final $1.3 trillion bill is notable for what it does not include, namely an increase in the Passenger Facility Charge, commonly referred to as the airport tax, which the airline industry was against.

The airline industry, as a result, praised the agreement.

House and Senate leadership took a stand “to put passengers first by rejecting repeated calls from some in the airport community to saddle travelers with an unnecessary tax hike,” said Nicholas Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, the trade association representing major U.S. airlines.

The 2,323-page spending bill will fund the government through September 30, 2018 and has the support of both parties as well as the president.

In the end, the bill was the result of great compromise from both sides of the aisle.

“Every bill takes compromise, and there was plenty here, but at the end of the day we Democrats feel very good because so many of our priorities for the middle class were included,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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