NATCA Bookshelf

NIW Today | 38 related to the implementation and deployment of Enroute Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), most often referred to as DataComm. This system is the next generation of communication between pilots and controllers. Stop-and-go funding and specifically CRs make planning for long-term improvement and modernization projects difficult. Stopping and restarting also makes modernization projects more expensive. Some projects may need to start over. For instance, the April 2013 furloughs caused delays to modernization projects like En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) that cost $6 million per month because of the delay. The 35-day shutdown delayed implementation of dozens of modernization projects including En Route DataComm. Sequestration Sequestration refers to automatic cuts to government spending that are mandated by law. They are across the board cuts to all budget lines and do not prioritize safety critical projects and programs. Although Congress removed the threat of sequestration for FY 2018 and 2019 when it passed the omnibus spending bill on March 23, 2018, sequestration is scheduled to return after Oct. 1, 2019, unless Congress takes action. As a result of sequestration cuts in 2013, preventative maintenance has been halted, and engineers must contend with a "fix-on-fail" policy, requiring that they wait until equipment actually breaks before replacing it. This creates an obvious safety concern and may also result in air traffic delays. Furthermore, the sequestration-related furloughs of April 2013 caused severe flight delays. During the week of April 21-27, 2013, delays nearly tripled at our nation's airports, from 5,103 delays to 13,694. These cuts are problematic and will return in October unless Congress takes action. Until then, the NAS remains at risk of falling even further behind on safety, efficiency, and capacity. MESSAGE The recent 35-day government shutdown is the latest example of why the FAA needs a stable, predictable funding stream. Even with long-term FAA authorization currently in place, without long-term funding, we face continued funding uncertainty, and the NAS is in jeopardy of falling further behind on safety, efficiency, and capacity. As Congress works to provide appropriations for the FAA for FY 2020 and avoid another government shutdown, the problem of stop-and-go funding must be addressed. EXAMPLES Below are key examples of stop-and-go funding and how each negatively affected the NAS and our workforce. 2011 PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Prior to being signed into law in Feb. 2012, the FAA Reauthorization Act (the authorizing measure that establishes, continues, or modifies FAA programs and activities) was delayed over five years and faced 23 short-term extensions. When an agreement could not be reached on the 21st extension, the FAA was partially shut down for two weeks during the summer of 2011, which cost the government nearly $30 million a day, because the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (aviation trust fund) was not authorized, and the FAA could not collect taxes. FAA employees were not paid for a significant period of time. Although Congress later restored the employees' lost pay, those aviation safety professionals experienced funding uncertainty at a personal level, which resulted in low morale and a loss of confidence in the government's funding system. 2013 SEQUESTRATION CUTS Sequestration is the result of a congressional money-saving approach to cut the federal budget across the board. It STOP-AND-GO FUNDING CONTINUED

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