NATCA Bookshelf

58 R e f e r e n c e s N A T C A I N W A S H I N G T O N 2 0 2 4 N i W To d a y tested at Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO) in Virginia. However, that system struggled to deliver certain critical capabilities. NATCA stands ready to continue our collaborative partnership with the FAA in researching and assessing how RTS can be safely and efficiently integrated into the NAS. Rescission In May 2018, the president sent a package of cuts, known as "rescissions," to Congress for consideration. This proposal would have cut $15.4 billion in spending across ten federal departments. In June 2018, the Congressional Budget Office released analysis saying that taking away the budget authority in these areas only would stop $1.1 billion from being spent over a decade because most of the programs in question already were expired, overfunded, or otherwise defunct. While the rescissions bill passed in the last House of Representatives, the package failed by a 48-50 vote in the U.S. Senate. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee This is the committee that has jurisdiction over FAA reauthorization, amongst many other things. The committee is chaired Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and the ranking member is Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, which oversees the FAA, is chaired by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and the ranking member is Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Sequestration Members of Congress implemented sequestration as a tool to reduce federal expenditures via across- the-board spending cuts when it passed the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA). Under the law, sequestration was intended to be in effect through FY 2021. In 2013, sequestration drastically cut the FAA's budget and as a result, forced the FAA to institute a hiring freeze and shutter the FAA Academy between March and December 2013. In recent years, Congress passed legislation that avoided sequestration, and the BCA expired at the end of FY 2021. Although no longer an imminent threat, sequestration was a major concern for NATCA for years and its effects are still being felt, especially in the areas of controller staffing challenges and delays to modernization programs. Shutdown Furlough (also called an Emergency Furlough) In the event that funds are not available due to a lapse in appropriations or an agency's authorization expires, a shutdown furlough may occur. A shutdown furlough will be triggered when a federal agency no longer has the necessary funds or authority to operate and must shut down those activities that are not excepted, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations. Even employees who perform excepted activities cannot be paid for their work during a shutdown furlough. Based on the nature of an emergency or lapse of appropriation/authorization furlough, the agency has very little advanced notice prior to implementation. THUD The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. The THUD Subcommittee writes the appropriations bill and oversees funding for the FAA. The House THUD Subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and the ranking member is Rep. Mike Quigley D-Ill. The Senate THUD Subcommittee is chaired by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and the ranking member is Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss. THUD Appropriations Bill The appropriations legislation that provides funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies.This includes funding for the FAA. See also Appropriations Bill. Title 49 The provision of the United States Code that applies to transportation, including the FAA. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) UAS are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAV), or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). In the mainstream, UAS are also known as "drones" (i.e. aircraft without a human pilot aboard). White Paper A government or other authoritative report explaining a complex issue in a concise manner. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve problems, and/or make decisions. Glossary

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