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Aviation: Centerline
Newsletter - June 2009
 
In this Issue...
The Last Rivet
 
 June 2, 2009
 
Alan D. Reitzfeld- New York

We close this issue with a brief mention of the recent publication of the statements of Hon. Calvin L. Scovel III (DOT’s Inspector General) and Katherine Siggerud (Managing Director of the GAO’s Physical Infrastructure Team) addressing challenges facing the DOT. The statements, each approximately 20 pages, were issued in connection with March 10, 2009 testimony before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.1 Both statements address, among other things, various economic issues facing the DOT and discuss the approximately $48 billion in increased funding provided for the DOT under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.2

Inspector General Scovel’s statement is entitled “Top Management Challenges Facing the Department of Transportation.” Among the topics discussed in his statement are: economic issues, improving oversight of aviation and surface transportation safety (including protecting against cyber security risks), maintaining highway and aviation trust funds, operating the national airspace system while transitioning to NextGen, and reducing aviation and surface transportation congestion.

Managing Director Siggerud’s statement is titled: “Challenges Facing the Department of Transportation and Congress.” The “highlights” section of the statement includes the following:

This statement presents GAO’s views on major challenges facing DOT and Congress as they work to administer recovery funds and reauthorize surface transportation and aviation programs. It is based on work GAO has completed over the last several years. GAO has made recommendations to DOT to improve transportation programs; the agency has generally agreed with these recommendations. To supplement this existing work, GAO obtained information on the recovery funds provided to DOT.

Among the topics discussed in Siggerud’s statement are: economic issues, improving aviation and surface transportation safety, reducing transportation congestion and delays, and modernizing the ATC system and ensuring a safe transformation to NextGen.

For more information, contact:

Alan Reitzfeld
212.513.3400
alan.reitzfeld@hklaw.com

toll free: 1.888.688.8500


1 DOT Oversight: Top Management Challenges & High Risk Series: Hearing Before the H. Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, 111th Cong. (March 10, 2009), Statement of Hon. Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General of Department of Transportation, Project ID: CC 2009 045 (available here) and Statement of Katherine Siggerud, Managing Director of General Accounting Office’s Physical Infrastructure Team, GAO Report: GAO 09 435T (available here).

2 Pub. L. No. 111 5, 123 Stat 115 (Feb. 17, 2009).

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