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29 I s s u e s N A T I O N A L A I R T R A F F I C C O N T R O L L E R S A S S O C I A T I O N | W W W . N AT C A . O R G N i W To d a y F u l l B a c kg ro u n d Issue ISSUE For years, the FAA has faced an unstable, unpredictable funding stream with interruptions that have negatively affected all aspects of the Agency. Recently, it has become clear that although the FAA has been funded consistently based on current and previous Administrations' appropriations requests, those requests have failed to keep up with inflation and often have been insufficient to meet the Agency's obligations. NATCA believes that this continues to be one of the most serious challenges facing the FAA and the National Airspace System (NAS). Without a stable and sufficient funding stream, the FAA will be hard-pressed to address the controller staffing shortage and maintain capacity, let alone modernize the physical and technological infrastructure of the system while expanding it for new users including unmanned aircraft systems, advanced air mobility systems, commercial space launches, and supersonic aircraft. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAA "AUTHORIZATION" AND "APPROPRIATIONS"? Simply defined, FAA authorization sets the policies on a wide range of issues related to aviation, establishing the rules and details for programs within the Agency, whereas an FAA appropriations bill allows the agency to pay for those programs and activities. When there is a lapse in appropriations, the FAA cannot spend the federal government's money, which shuts down most programs and activities. When there is a lapse in authorization, the FAA is not permitted to perform most of its functions. FA A A u t h o r i za t i o n The FAA is currently operating under a short-term extension (through May 10, 2024) to H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which the presi- dent signed into law on Oct. 5, 2018. This bill passed both chambers of Congress with resounding bipar- tisan support. It authorized the FAA to continue to operate, while also establishing, continuing, and/or modifying FAA programs, activities, and policy pri- orities through the end of lastfiscal year (FY), Sept. 30, 2023. It also authorized the collection of taxes into and expenditure of funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (Trust Fund). Prior to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, there were five short-term extensions to FAA authorization in the three years between the expiration of the last long-term extension and the current authorization. The previous FAA reauthorization bill also was delayed more than five years and faced 23 short-term extensions and a partial FAA shutdown between February 2012 through October 2015 before a new authorization bill was signed into law. FA A A p p r o p r i a t i o n s The FAA's funding stream has been negatively affect- ed by the lack of regular order in the appropriations process primarily due to partisan political issues. In fact, 1996 was the last time all 12 appropriations bills were enacted by the start of the new fiscal year. A stand-alone Transportation, Housing and Ur- ban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill – which funds the FAA – has not been enacted since 2006. Over the past two decades, Congress has become reliant on temporary, short-term funding measures called continuing resolutions (CRs) and, omnibus spending packages (funding bills that combine multiple appropriations bills together) or some combination of the two, to fund the government. On Dec. 30. 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (FY 2023 Omnibus) was passed and signed by the president, which funded the government through the end of this fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2023. Since then, however, despite reaching an agreement in principle on funding in Summer 2023, Congress again was unable to pass a THUD appropriations bill to fund the FAA, instead opting for multiple short-term CRs that were accompanied by a threatened shutdown each time. Finally, in early March, the FAA was funded for the remainder of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2024. This lack of stable and sufficient funding continues to cause damage to the NAS, some of which is irreversible. For example, we know that the 35- day government shutdown was estimated to cost taxpayers up to $8 million in order to repeat training for controllers related to the implementation and deployment of en route Controller Pilot Data Link

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