Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is glad that a temporary agreement has been reached to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration – a move that allows more than two dozen construction projects in New Mexico to move ahead.

About $26 million worth of construction projects at airports in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Clayton, Clovis, Farmington, Fort Sumner, Portales, Raton, Roswell, Ruidoso, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, Socorro, Taos, Tucumcari, Vaughn – among others -- were put on hold when Congress could not come to an agreement to reauthorize the FAA. As a result, the FAA was not able to collect taxes that fund some of its operations.

"This is only a temporary agreement. But, for now, it allows important safety upgrades at airports across New Mexico to move forward," Bingaman said. "It also puts New Mexicans in the construction industry back to work."