Public Law 211, 84th Congress, authorized the Secretary of Commerce to obligate by the execution of grant agreements $42.5 million for fiscal year 1956, and $63 million for each of fiscal years 1957, 1958, and 1959. CAA has developed the new standards, procedures, regulations, etc., required by Public Law 211 and will be prepared to enter into grant agreements under this authorization on or about February 1, 1956. It is also planned to announce the program allocations for fiscal year 1957 approximately 3 months prior to the beginning of the fiscal year in order to accelerate the execution of grant agreements.

No funds have been appropriated for expenditure purposes under Public Law 211, and it is estimated that $30 million will be required during fiscal year 1957 for partial and final payment of obligations incurred under the program authorized by the 84th Congress. This estimate is based upon experience gained during prior year operations of the Federal Airport Act. Based on present program plans the total grant agreements entered into during fiscal years 1956 and 1957 will approximate $90 million. While a part of this will be placed under coastruction during 1956, the major portion of work will not commence until the spring and summer of 1957. Using an average expenditure lag of 14 months from the time obligations are incurred, it is estimated that progress payments to be made during various phases of construction, as well as final payments for land acquisition type agreements will require $30 million during fiscal year 1957.

Funds currently appropriated for airport grants are not available for liquidation of contract authorization under this heading during fiscal year 1956. Although obligations will be incurred under contract authorization in 1956, expenditures for such obligations will be made during fiscal year 1957. The following summary indicates the aggregate estimated liquidation cash requirements based on present program plans:

Mr. PRESTON. This request is in the amount of $30 million for liquidation of contract authorities granted by Public Law 211 of the 84th Congress. The committee is very familiar with the program. you have a general statement, you may file it for the record at this point.

If

Mr. HOWELL. I have no general statement other than that the $30 million liquidating cash was arrived at on the basis of studying the past history of the program, as it relates to the need for cash to liquidate obligations.

Mr. PRESTON. We have already gone into that subject to some extent in the other discussions previously this morning. I wish you would make or prepare a statement and put it in the record on the following information: What amounts of contract authority the Public Law 211 provides for 1956 and subsequent years.

No. 2, what size program did you announce for 1956 and when? No. 3, what grant agreements have you actually entered into to date? And what do you estimate will be the number of, and the amount of grant agreements by June 30?

(The figures asked for are as follows:)

(1) Contract authorization provided under Public Law 211

(2) Size of program in fiscal year 1956 under Public Law 121 appropriated funds and Public Law 211 contract authorization

Any questions on liquidation of contract authority? (Discussion off the record.)

SUMMARY JUSTIFICATION DATA

Mr. PRESTON. The next item we will take up is the maintenance and operation of Washington National Airport found on page 35 of the committee print, page 280 of the justifications. We will insert in the record pages 280 and 281; also the bottom of page 283, captioned "Operational Highlights."

(The pages referred to are as follows:)