A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/610992
NATCA recommends participation in the Training and Tr aining Failures Survey. If you have any questions, please contact Labor Relations Coordinator Kendal Manson at kmanson@natcadc.org . GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE : The House was in recess two weeks ago for Veterans' Day, while the Senate was in session for just two days before recessing for the holiday. Both chambers were in session for one week before recessing again for the Thanksgiving holiday. STILL NEED APPROPRIATIONS : Government fun ding provided through the temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) expires on December 11, and spending legislation will still need to be enacted to avoid a government shutdown. The Senate has already passed one FY 2016 appropriations bill, (Military Construct ion - Veterans Affairs, also known as Mil - Con VA), and it is anticipated that the bill will serve as a "shell" for a larger omnibus bill, which would effectively combine appropriations bills and provide funding for the entire federal government. However, num erous other issues such as Syrian refugees, healthcare, and funding for Planned Parenthood could disrupt that trajectory. THUD UPDATE : Senators were expected to take up the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill before the Th anksgiving recess. However, the chamber officially put the bill on hold after Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky demanded consideration of his amendment designed to block federal benefits for any arriving Syrian refugees as a result of the recent terrorist atta cks in Paris. The move effectively blocked consideration of the THUD bill. This means that, in all likelihood, THUD appropriations bill will be folded into a larger funding bill. It remains unknown whether that will be an omnibus, CR, or "cromnibus." More information on these fund ing options is available below. As a reminder, the THUD spending bill (H.R. 2577) had already been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in June. Likewise, the House passed its version of the bill on the floor in June. NA TCA has been working to ensure that the FAA is properly funded during these tough budget times. GA staff will continue meeting with appropriations committee members and professional staff as Congress gets closer to the December 11 deadline to provide fund i ng for the federal government. Omnibus likely : As mentioned above, it appears likely that the Mil - Con VA spending legislation will serve as a vehicle for an omnibus. An omnibus is a type of spending bill that combines many of the smaller, regular appropria tions bills into one larger, single bill. It remains unclear which or how many of the twelve appropriations bills would be part of an omnibus spending package. By passing an omnibus versus a CR, agencies (including the FAA) are given the opportunity to act on current priorities and have the ability to make changes to their budget lines. On the other hand, if a CR is passed instead, the FAA will only be provided funding and authority for projects already in existence, which does not allow the Agency to plan ahead and work on new projects. Government shutdown still possible : Even though the President signed into law the broad deal that set budget levels for the next two years and lifted the debt ceiling until 2017, a government shutdown is still possible shoul d Congress fail to pass a CR or omnibus appropriations package before December 11. When lawmakers returned to Washington on November 16, conversation was dominated by the terrorist attacks in Paris and what that means for Syrian refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. Some