US House approves $58.9 billion aviation bill = = = = Wednesday June 11, 6:17 PM EDT = WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - The House of Representatives approved a $= 58.9 billion bill on Wednesday that would continue funding air traffic co= ntrol operations and other federal aviation programs for the next four ye= ars. The bipartisan initiative is $2 billion more than requested by the Bush a= dministration and more than $15 billion above a three-year proposal makin= g its way through the Senate. The FAA reauthorization legislation was the first of three major transpor= tation bills now before Congress to clear a full chamber. House lawmakers= approved it 418-8 after debate that was limited mainly to technical issu= es. The aviation proposal is the least contentious of the three bills with la= wmakers bracing for tougher fights over long-term funding for highways an= d Amtrak, the national passenger railroad. = The aviation bill passed by the House would continue air traffic control = operations run by the FAA as well as other agency programs through 2007. It would also: - Streamline the federal review process for new runways and other initiat= ives to increase airport capacity. - Reimburse airlines and airports for certain security enhancements requi= red by Congress in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijack attacks on= New York and Washington. - Increase the number of flights at Washington's Reagan National Airport = where access is controlled by the government. - Require the Transportation Department to include complaints about passe= nger and baggage screening in the consumer report it publishes monthly. - Make airlines display information for passengers on where aircraft are = manufactured. This is part of a "buy America" campaign pushed by lawmaker= s concerned with the success of overseas aircraft manufacturers, like Eur= ope's Airbus (EAD) (EAD), with U.S. carriers. A procedural vote ahead of House consideration of the FAA bill was delaye= d after several lawmakers got stuck in a Capitol Hill elevator for nearly= an hour. = =A92003 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS