An 11th-hour attempt failed to break a deadlock over a short-term Federal Aviation Administration bill before the August congressional recess began on Aug. 2, raising the prospect of a extended, severe cutback to airport construction around the country.
Since the last aviation stopgap expired at midnight on July 26, FAA has had to issue stop-work orders for $10.5 billion in contracts, including nearly $800 million in airport construction projects that were under way.