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ISSUES 22 NiW Today NATCA in Washington 2026 risk within the NAS, making the system less safe with each passing day of the shutdown. Unstable FAA funding continues to damage the NAS, some of which is irreversible. The unpredictability of a stop-and-go funding stream, especially the stringing together of multiple short-term CRs, has made planning for long- term improvement and modernization programs extremely difficult. Message FAA Needs Stable and Predictable Funding The NAS moves over 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers, and more than 61,000 tons of cargo every day across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. Although it is the safest, most efficient, and most complex system in the world, we always strive to bolster safety, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency. Stable and sufficient funding for the FAA has become increasingly critical to accomplishing these goals, whereas funding instability places the NAS in jeopardy of falling behind on safety, efficiency, and capacity. During the 43-day government shutdown, NATCA advocates were tireless in our pursuit and support of all possible solutions to end the shutdown. NATCA consistently said that it would support any measure that would end the shutdown and pay air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals. However, NATCA also strongly supported other bills that would have temporarily funded the FAA and paid its employees despite the continued shutdown. Now that FAA appropriations have passed and the agency has funding through the end of FY 2026 (Sept. 30, 2026), it is time to pass long-term, meaningful legislation that will eliminate disruptions and provide stability for controllers and other aviation safety professionals so they never have to experience that level of stress and financial instability again. Several Bills Would Ensure Stable and Predictable Funding for FAA With the recent shutdown in the past, but with another funding deadline looming in September, NATCA is focused on supporting, advocating for, and passing meaningful legislation to ensure stable and predictable funding for the FAA. For example, the Aviation Funding Solvency Act (H.R. 6086) would protect the FAA and its employees from future lapses in appropriations by providing funding from the Avi- ation Insurance Revolving Fund. Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman Sam Graves (Missouri 6th District), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (Wash- ington 2nd District), Aviation Subcommittee Chair- man Troy Nehls (Texas 22nd District) and Rank- ing Member André Carson (Indiana 7th District), introduced this innovative bill and quickly completed markup in the T&I Committee. NATCA also strongly supports S. 1045, the Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025, introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran (Kansas), which would provide continuing appropriations for the FAA out of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund in the event of a shutdown. Over the years, NATCA has supported previous versions of this bill and currently also supports substantially similar bills in the House of Representatives introduced by Rep. Aaron Bean (Florida 4th District), H.R. 5455, and Rep. Steve Cohen (Tennessee 9th District) and Rep. André Carson (Indiana 7th District), H.R. 5451. During the shutdown, NATCA also supported several other Senate bills that would have appropriated funds to pay federal employees, including NATCA air traffic controllers. Shutdowns create real problems for real American workers, but many of these bills solve those problems in a practical and sustainable way. If the Aviation Funding Solvency Act or the Aviation Funding Stability Act were to pass, both bills would ensure that the FAA could operate despite a government-wide shutdown, meaning that controllers would not be forced to make difficult practical and financial choices as a result of not being paid such as how to pay for housing/rent, gas, food, and/or childcare services. Thus, these controllers and other aviation safety professionals would be able to remain completely focused on their safety-critical jobs, instead of worrying about paying the bills. Congress Has Always Met FAA's Stated Budgetary Needs The FAA, like much of the federal government, has faced an unstable and unpredictable funding stream for the better part of two decades. Unfortunately, admin- istrations from both parties have a long history of sub- mitting FAA budget requests to Congress that fall short of what the Agency truly needs to fund its operations and facilities and equipment (F&E) budgets. Congress has consistently provided the FAA with the resources it requests through both authorization Issue FAA Funding Requires Robust Authorization and Appropriations Levels

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