WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congress got rid of a headache on Friday when it rescued the flying public from flight delays caused by its budget cutting. But in the view of many U.S. lawmakers, the pain is just about to begin.

Members of Congress and groups representing people hit by across-the-board budget cuts, ranging from cancer patients to welfare recipients, say the quick action on air traffic control staffing underscored the importance of being visible to millions of Americans.

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of
Representatives on Friday approved a Senate plan to ease
nationwide air-traffic delays caused by automatic federal
spending cuts, seeking to calm irritated travelers but sparking
a backlash from interest groups not spared from cuts.

The Senate had unanimously voted for the plan late Thursday
and the House approved it by a 361-41 vote. White House
spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama plans to sign
the bill.

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of
Representatives on Friday overwhelmingly approved a Senate plan
to ease nationwide air traffic delays caused by automatic
federal spending cuts, seeking to calm an irritated traveling
public as lawmakers themselves flew out of Washington for a
week-long recess.

The Senate had unanimously voted for the plan late Thursday.

The barely four pages of legislation will give the
Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to
cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential
employees at the Federal Aviation Administration who had been
furloughed.

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of
Representatives is expected to act quickly on Friday to finalize
a Senate plan to ease nationwide air-traffic delays caused by
last month’s automatic federal spending cuts.

The Senate plan, passed unanimously late Thursday, will give
the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent
funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other
essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration who
had been furloughed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congress’ move to quickly end this week’s widespread airport flight delays is good news for U.S. travelers, the White House said on Friday, but falls short of broader action needed to address wider across-the-board spending cuts that took effect last month.

Late Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation giving the Department of Transportation more flexibility with its budget, allowing it to use other funds to end air traffic controller furloughs that have led to clogged airports and delayed flights across the country.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate moved quickly late on Thursday to end air traffic controller furloughs that were causing widespread airline flight delays related to last month’s automatic federal spending cuts.

Without any debate, the Senate unanimously passed legislation giving the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration.

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) – U.S. Senate leaders are
frantically trying to put together a plan to alleviate
widespread airline flight delays caused by last month’s
automatic federal spending cuts, working on legislation that
could be voted on as early as Thursday.

Under bipartisan legislation that is all but ready to be
presented to the full Senate, the Department of Transportation
would be given new flexibility to take unspent funds and use
them to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other
essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate leaders are frantically trying to pull together a plan to alleviate widespread airline flight delays – brought about by last month’s automatic federal spending cuts – with legislation that could be voted upon as early as Thursday.

The House of Representatives could vote soon after but leaders in that chamber first want to see what the Senate produces, fearing a retreat on this issue could open the door to easing other budget cuts.

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s
administration on Wednesday notified Congress it will start
free-trade talks with Japan, bringing the world’s third-largest
economy into U.S.-led negotiations on a regional free-trade
pact.

“The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as
well as close ally, further increases the economic significance
of a TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Agreement,” acting U.S.
Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a letter to
congressional leaders.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An influential Democratic senator said on Wednesday he was working on a bipartisan bill to boost President Barack Obama’s ability to negotiate trade deals, but Republicans have made clear that more White House involvement is needed to pass the measure.

“I would like to see a bipartisan TPA (trade promotion authority) bill introduced by June,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said at a hearing on the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, a proposed free trade agreement among 12 countries on both sides of the Pacific.