In fact, just last month, with the Federal Aviation Administration authorization up for extension, Congress let authority for this important agency lapse and thousands were furloughed.

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The administration's funding authorization expires Sept. 30, and it needs more money to address the booming volume of air traffic, primarily because the air traffic control system needs safety and security upgrades.

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Congressional infighting last month over union rules and subsidies for small airports caused a lapse in authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration as well as the airline ticket taxes that help fund it.

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Some legal scholars have asked for a fuller accounting of what terrorist groups the administration believes can be targeted under the congressional authorization.

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In the latter days of the Reagan Administration in 1988, the President vetoed the authorization bill, basically because it was putting a cap on how we could spend resources on space-based interceptors.

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Robert Chesney, a professor at the University of Texas Law School, said it would be helpful for the administration to clarify which groups or individuals can be targeted under its definition of the congressional authorization.

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Therefore, it would appear that in five days, the administration will be in violation of the war powers resolution unless it asks for and receives authorization from Congress or withdraws all US troops and resources from the mission.

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The issue is hot now because Congress is considering at least two proposals to provide funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, which must be done by Sept. 30, when the FAA's current funding authorization runs out.

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