A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/589908
able to reach a deal. Senior staff from Senate Majorit y Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Boehner offices having been talking to White Hous e staff during the break. Neither side is saying much, but the fact that they are talking is a hopeful sign as we move toward the expiration of the CR on December 11. Imp act on Federal Employees : With Congress facing a series of important deadlines before the end of the year, federal employees' pay and benefits could once again be threatened. In order to raise the funding for federal agencies above the budget caps set by t he 2011 Budget Control Act, Congress and President Obama will have to agree on ways to offset the costs. We will continue to see anti - federal employee proposals such as an increase in pension contributions, TSP reductions, and several more adverse policies . APPROPRIATIONS : Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has bundled 11 of the 12 FY 2016 spending bills into four groups, known as " minibuses, " for potential floor consideration, still at an unspecified date. He is doing this to prepare for the possibili ty of acting on some larger deal. THUD Update : An infrastructure minibus is grouped to include the FY 16 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill (H.R. 2577) among two other appropriations bills. As a reminder, the House h as already passed their version of the THUD appropriations bill earlier this year in June. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the bill, but it has not advanced to the Senate floor. The Senate bill would provide $16.011 billion for the FAA (compared with $15.855 in the House - passed version). NATCA has been working to ensure that the FAA is properly funded during these tough budget times. GA staff will continue to follow the appropriations process closely. SEQUESTRATION UPDATE : Cong ress will need to address the issue of sequestration before the December 11 deadline as it determines funding levels for FY 16. One option is that Congress reaches an agreement to do away with sequestration cuts. Congress could also kick the can down the r oad and enact a CR that would avoid detrimental sequestration cuts. Finally, the most damaging possibility would be that Republicans and Democrats are unable to reach a deal to provide funding for the federal government, in which case the government would shut down. 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 October 1, but the CR avoids any significant sequestration cuts through December 11 by continuing funding below the sequestration caps. NATCA continues to work with members of Congress and staff on this issue and we continue to remind them of the affect it had on the avi ation system and our members in 2013. We have made it continuously clear that if sequestration cuts are implemented, the cuts will be larger than in 2013. DEBT CEILING UPDATE : The Treasury Department has moved its deadline for Congress to raise the natio n's borrowing limit to November 3, giving lawmakers even less time to prevent a possible default on the nation's debt. Speaker Boehner hopes to move legislation to lift the cap on government borrowing before he departs, although his departure date has yet to be determined. The government technically hit the debt limit in March, but the U.S. Treasury has been using accounting tri cks to avoid breaching the cap.