NATCA Bookshelf

60 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 Key Legislative Votes Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was enacted into law on November 15, 2021. The IIJA provided FAA with $5 billion over five years for various Facilities & Equipment upgrades. NATCA supported IIJA and urged members of Congress to vote in favor. Perry Amendment to H.R. 140 (Official Time) This amendment was proposed by Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. The Perry Amendment singled out official time as a time when federal employees could not engage in a specific activity that would be a new prohibition under the Hatch Act. The duty time restriction already covers official time, so there is no reason to include official time specifically. n Although the Perry amendment did not attempt to eliminate official time, the vote essentially was a proxy for those who supported or opposed official time. n NATCA opposed the Perry amendment, and it was defeated on the House floor in March 2023. n The House tally was 207-223-10. n A similar vote did not occur in the Senate. Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) Enacted into law in June 2023, the FRA increased the federal debt limit to avoid a catastrophic default that would have been devastating to the economy, FAA operations, and our members. The FRA also established new discretionary spending limits to ensure that the appropriations process could move forward for the 2024 fiscal year. The measure was negotiated and passed on a largely bipartisan basis. H.R. 3935 (House FAA Reauthorization) This legislation is the House version of the pending FAA five-year reauthorization bill (you won't find this on your Senate key vote list). The measure included provisions to implement five years of maximum hiring of new air traffic controllers and require FAA to revise and update the Controller Workforce Plan based on the new staffing targets developed by the Collaborative Resources Workgroup. Both of these provisions are top NATCA priorities. You will not find in your Senate key vote list. Reps. Yakym-Titus Letter (ATC Max Hiring) This bipartisan letter, sent in December of 2023, called on the leadership of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee to maintain provisions to bolster controller staffing that were included the House-passed FAA reauthorization bill (H.R. 3935) in any final FAA reauthorization measure that is sent to the president. n This includes a requirement for FAA to utilize the CRWG staffing targets and another provision to conduct maximum controller hiring for the next five fiscal years. n The letter was signed by 138 Members of the House from both parties. H. Res. 1061 (FY24 Consolidated Appropriations Bill & FAA Funding) Enacted into law on March 9, 2024, this six-bill appropriations package kept the government open and avoided a damaging shutdown. It also included funding increases for FAA Operations and Facilities & Equipment programs, one of NATCA's top funding priorities. NATCA urged all Members of Congress to support this legislation. This vote is listed as "FY24 THUD" in your House and Senate key vote lists. H.R. 4366 (Senate THUD Appropriations "Minibus" Package) On November 3, 2023, the Senate passed legislation to provide fiscal year 2024 appropriations for several departments and agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA. The measure was eventually modified and passed into law March 2024, alongside several other appropriations measures. n This bipartisan funding package included key NATCA priorities, including full funding for the FAA Operations account and a substantial increase for the Facilities & Equipment account. n NATCA urged all Senators to support the measure.

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