WASHINGTON – First District Congressman Paul Ryan has succeeded in including first-year funding amounting to $1.5 million for the Rock County Airport runway extension project in the final version of Congress' transportation spending bill. Additionally, Ryan met with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Jane Garvey in 1999 about Rock County Airport and will continue to work with her to secure the full federal funding request for this project.

"This is great news for Rock County," said Ryan. "It is especially important because the runway expansion project will provide the General Motors (GM) plant in Janesville the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and strengthen its position in the area. This is critical for the thousands of workers in the Janesville area who are employed by GM and its local suppliers."

GM increasingly relies on the Rock County Airport to receive its last-minute deliveries of auto parts for production of the Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban and medium duty trucks. In order to better accommodate these deliveries and serve area industry, the airport is in need of improvement.

The final version of the transportation spending bill awaits final passage in Congress as well as the President's signature before it becomes law.