mr. costello. when you end up with responsibility over an important committee like ours, you try to set some priorities, and when asked what my top priority would be, there's no question that we have to do an faa re-authorization. it's -- not only is it important to ensure something we take for granted in this country, and that's safe flying and skies, the ability to get around like no one on the earth has ever known, we take some of that for granted, but it does require our work as trustees of that responsibility to set the parameters and the policy. no question we've got to move forward, and i set this as the top priority. i can't tell you how pleased i am that senator reid and our colleagues in the senate have already begun their work. my goal is to not have an 18th extension and to have this bill on the president's desk before the current 17th extension expires. at a time when the country's hurting economically, i'm told and i've heard different accounts, that the aviation industry when we were

mr. costello. when you end up with responsibility over an important committee like ours, you try to set some priorities, and when asked what my top priority would be, there's no question that we have to do an faa re-authorization. it's -- not only is it important to ensure something we take for granted in this country, and that's safe flying and skies, the ability to get around like no one on the earth has ever known, we take some of that for granted, but it does require our work as trustees of that responsibility to set the parameters and the policy. no question we've got to move forward, and i set this as the top priority. i can't tell you how pleased i am that senator reid and our colleagues in the senate have already begun their work. my goal is to not have an 18th extension and to have this bill on the president's desk before the current 17th extension expires. at a time when the country's hurting economically, i'm told and i've heard different accounts, that the aviation industry when we were