A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1016075
These courses are now available for sign up on the NATCA Membership Portal (except for LEAP, which is by invitation only). Once you have logged in, select "NATCA Academy" from the quick links. Then, select "2018 courses." If you need any help with registration, contact the Coordinator for your region. Registrants will be notif ied within 35 days from the course start date of their status for the course. If you have any questions, please contact NATCA's Training Coordinator, Carolyn Kamara, at ckamara@natcadc.org . GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House is in recess for the month of August, while the Senate has been in session most of the month to consider appropriations, judicial nominations, and the defense authorization bill. SEPTEMBER 30 FUNDING DEADLINE The government is currently operating under a $1.3 trill ion omnibus appropriations bill which provides funding for the federal government for this rest of this fiscal year (FY) 2018 which expires on Sept. 30 . Appropriators have been working on FY 19 appro priations bills in order to advance the spending bills before the fiscal year ends to avoid a government shutdown. Relevant to NATCA, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have each approved their own versions of Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills. While the House has yet to vote on its version of the THUD bill, the Sena te passed its version on Aug. 1 as part of a four - bill spending package that included Financial Services, Agriculture, and Interior - Envi ronment bills in addition to THUD. The chart below shows current and proposed funding levels for FAA programs. Next Steps : While the Senate has already passed its version of the THUD bill, the House has yet to bring its version of the bill to the floor fo r a vote. A final THUD spending bill needs to be approved by both chambers before the ne w fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, otherwise, a continuing resolution ("CR") will need to be passed to keep the FAA running at current spending levels. Government Shutd own Potential : With the mid - term elections fast approaching in November, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are optimistic in avoiding a government shutdown this time around. However, President Trump has been focusing on border wall funding and using the threat of a government shutdown to force funding for that. NATCA Impact : NATCA GA staff is continuing to advocate for our funding and policy priorities each step of the way as the appropriations process continues. As appropriations bills move through the legislative process, we're also working with our allies on Capitol Hill to quickly defeat harmful amendments that are considered throughout the appropriations process. Below are the funding levels proposed in the House and Senate compared to t he FAA's current funding levels.