A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/669670
affairs, military construction, and defense spending. On the flip side, to offset those increases, other spending bills were cut. Most notable to NATCA, THUD would re ceive a cut of approximately $800 million at $56.5 billion, down from $57.3 billion. NATCA GA staff is working quickly to address the proposed cuts in the THUD bill. NATCA is also educating members of the House Appropriations Committee on the proposed Sena te cuts and the overall importance of THUD funding. We will keep you updated as the process moves forward. Status of Appropriations Bills : So far, the House Appropriations Committee has approved the Mil - Con VA spending bill, and many reports indicate that Mil - Con VA will be the first spending bill to be considered on the House floor. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its versions of the Mil - Con VA bill as well as the Energy - Water bill. FY 17 BUDGET DEADLINE PASSES : Congress missed the April 15 deadline to produce a concurrent budget resolution. As a reminder, even if Congress passes a budget resolution, it does not get enacted and does not have the force of law. Instead, it lays the groundwork for appropriations committees to alloc ate government funding. In March, the House Budget Committee released a plan (H. Con. Res 125) that conservative Republicans oppose, which would allow for $30 billion in extra discretionary spending compared to the 2011 deficit - cutting law (P.L. 112 - 25). Continued opposition from conservative republicans is threatening to derail the resolution if and when it comes to the House floor for a vote. In the Senate, Republicans have delayed consideration of a budget as they also attempt to forge a compromise amon g conservatives and defense hawks over spending levels the parties agreed to in the fall. OFFICIAL TIME BILL ADVANCES FROM COMMITTEE : As mentioned in earlier updates, Reps. Dennis Ross (R - FL) and Jody Hice (R - GA) introduced legislation (H.R. 4392) to req uire that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) submit an annual report to Congress relating to the use of official time by federal employees. This bill was reported out of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on April 12, meaning that the bill could come to the House floor for a vote at any time. While it is unlikely that this bill would ever be enacted into law, GA staff is closely monitoring its movement. To be clear, this legislation does not eliminate the use of official time. Bac kground: As you know, official time is a cost - saving, efficient way to resolve smaller issues between the FAA and its employees' representatives. Historically, Democrats and a group of moderate Republicans have recognized the benefits of official time and have worked together to defeat harmful amendments that would eliminate or limit use of official time. COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW NATCA.ORG MOBILE - FRIENDLY WEBSITE! We've added many interesting and cool features to our redesigned na tca.org website, which conforms to the device you're using to give you an easy, enjoyable, and comfortable browsing experience. Here is a look at one of our sections on natca.org – we call it "RESOURCES": Air Traffic Time Lapse : A couple of videos showing a time - lapse of airborne traffic across the country.