NATCA Bookshelf

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House and Senate returned to Washington for legislative session on Jan. 27. INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION INTRODUCED On Jan. 29, House Democrats introduced a $760 billion, five-year infrastructure package, which outlines major investments in highways, rail, transit, airports, wastewater, water infrastructure, ports, and harbors. The Democratic package also includes an aggressive plan to combat climate change, which ranges from making federal buildings carbon-neutral to transitioning to renewable fuels for aviation, with a focus on transit and rail as a greener option than automobiles and airplanes and encouraging the use of more climate-friendly building materials. House Republicans also introduced infrastructure legislation that contains their own set of guiding principles, which are more focused on project and permit streamlining, and addressing the long-term sustainability of the Highway Trust Fund. The Republican proposal does not include anything about climate change. As the legislative process surrounding a comprehensive infrastructure bill continues over the coming months, NATCA will be providing our input to Capitol Hill on key infrastructure priorities that are most beneficial to our Union. SUPPORTING PAID PARENTAL LEAVE NATCA has been working on a technical correction to fix the loophole that inadvertently excluded FAA employees and five other federal employee workforces in the paid parental leave proposal enacted in December. We've been working with relevant committees in the House and Senate to address this, and several bills have been introduced. While a number of other bills offering partial corrections have been proposed, we are focusing on a bill that would provide a fix for all six workforces that were excluded. This legislation was introduced on February 13 by House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., as well as committee member Carol Miller, R-W.V. This legislation is bipartisan and has 16 original co- sponsors: eight Democrats and eight Republicans. This bill (H.R. 5885, the Federal Employee Parental Leave Technical Correction Act) would ensure the six workforces left out, including the FAA, will receive the 12 weeks of paid parental leave just like other federal employees. NATCA is urging members of Congress to support H.R. 5885 and is working with House leadership and the House Oversight and Reform Committee to advance this legislation out of committee and to the floor for a House vote. H.R. 1108/S. 762 CONTINUE TO GAIN SUPPORT H.R. 1108 has continued to gain support from both Democrats and Republicans and now has 277 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors can continue to be added to H.R. 1108 until the T&I Committee files an official "Committee Report," which is a document accompanying a bill that has been reported from a committee. The report contains an explanation of the provisions of the bill, arguments for its approval, votes held in markup, individual

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• January 27-February 2, 2020 Update