A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/582777
Sequestration at the FAA : Because the CR met the Budget Control Act budgetary caps, significant sequestration cuts will not be triggered at the FAA. This means no furloughs or changes in current operations for the Agency through December 11. Background : As you know, sequestration has been used as a tool to reduce the federal budget, and in 2013, the measure drastically cut the FAA budget and caused furloughs at the FAA. Sequestration cuts could have been triggered on Oct ober 1, but the CR avoids any significant sequestration cuts through December 11 by continuing funding below the sequestration caps. NATCA is continuing to work with members of Congress and their respective staffs on this issue and reminding them of the af fect it had on the aviation system in 2013, and making clear that if sequestration cuts are implemented, the cuts will be larger than in 2013. DECEMBER 11 FISCAL DEADLINE : Republicans and Democrats will need to negotiate new spending levels before the ne w December 11 deadline if they want to do away with sequestration. President Obama has said he will veto any long - term spending bill that adheres to current spending caps. It is likely that conservative republicans will continue their push to defund Planne d Parenthood in any funding legislation. Capitol Hill staffers from both parties, along with White House staffers, are already meeting to discuss the budget. Democrats have prioritized setting topline spending amounts for discretionary spending, determinin g how to offset increased spending, and making sure defense and non - defense spending is increased by equal amounts. DEBT CEILING UPDATE : Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew estimated that extraordinary measures to delay reaching the debt limit will be exhauste d around November 5, earlier than some experts have previously projected. This accelerates the need to raise the borrowing ceiling. This could put pressure on Speaker Boehner to try to craft a debt ceiling increase acceptable to both parties before he reti res October 30, rather than leave the job to the next speaker. FAA LONG - TERM REAUTHORIZATION : With FAA authority extended through March 31, 2016, committees will continue their work on a broad FAA Reauthorization bill. Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio have made it clear that they only want one extension for the FAA this time around, which is the extension that we are now operating under until March. At this time, the House T&I Committee has pushed off introducing their version of an FAA Reauthor ization bill late fall or early winter. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and EVP Trish Gilbert, along with the government affairs staff, continue to work closely with the House and Senate committee staffs to discuss NATCA's priorities for the FAA reauthorizati on bill. GOP LEADERSHIP CHANGES : With Speaker of the House John Boehner stepping down from his leadership post and seat in Congress on October 30, House Republicans will need to elect a new Speaker, Majority Leader and Majority Whip. The Caucus will hold an election for Speaker October 8, with a vote on the House floor schedule for October 29. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California is expected to succeed Boehner as Speaker, though he is being challenged by Rep. Jason Chaffetz from Utah and Rep. Dani el Webster from Florida. In the race for Majority Leader, Rep. Steve Scalise (Majority Whip) and Rep. Tom Price (Budget Committee Chairman) are in the running to take over for McCarthy. In the race for Majority Whip, Patrick McHenry, the current chief depu ty whip, is the favorite in this race. Those elections will be scheduled by the new Speaker once he is elected.