A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/672268
FAA Reauthorization again. Many questions remain on how the House will move forward with the process. A few of the possible paths forward include: 1) no long - term FAA reauthor ization legislation moves forward, so both chambers will need to pass an FAA extension; 2) the House passes a less - controversial bill, without any air traffic control reform proposal, and proceeds to conference that legislation with the Senate - passed bill; or 3) House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman Bill Shuster continues to push for consideration of his legislation (H.R. 4441) and attempts to garner the support necessary to bring it to the House floor for a vote. Background : A short - term extension (H.R. 4721) is currently in place to extend aviation programs and excise taxes through July 15, 2016. The extension gives both chambers time to decide how to move forward with long - term reauthorization of the FAA. Following passage of the Senate bill, Chairman Shuster insisted that he will continue to push forward with his version of the legislation. Read below for more information on each of the House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills. Senate Bill Overview : S. 2658 would reauthorize the FAA f or eighteen months. The bill does not include an air traffic control not - for - profit proposal as the House version proposes. NATCA was successful in adding numerous provisions to the legislation, including controller hiring language that would make necessar y improvements in the hiring process at the FAA. We are also working with T&I committee staff to address outstanding issues with the Senate legislation in the event that the Senate bill is considered in the House. House Bill Overview : Chairman Shuster cont inues to advocate on behalf of H.R. 4441 despite opposition to the plan. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to shore up support for the bill, and would need to appease members of the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees, as well as conservative republicans and those members of Congress that have a stake in general aviation issues. NATCA Position : NATCA has made clear that we will consider any and all reform proposals so long as they do not maintain the status quo at the FAA or result in a for - p rofit system. That is why we support the House bill, H.R. 4441 – it offers a solution to the stop - and - go funding that has hampered the Agency continually, and we continue to look for a solution that is consistent with all of our organization's policies, pr actices, and principles while also protecting our members and the unionized workforce. Click here to view NATCA's press release and here to view the message sent to NATCA membership from the National Executive Board. Click to read Paul's testimony before the House T&I Committee, which approved the legislation. NATCA continues to push for reform to end the stop - and - go funding uncertainty, which has been problematic for the workforce and the NAS for far too long. FAA APPROPRIATIONS MOVING FORWARD : Despite the fact that Senate subcommittee allocation numbers cut overall Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) spending levels by approximately $800 million, the FAA received solid funding in the markup of the FY 2017 THUD s pending bill in the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the THUD bill on April 21, approving $16.4 billion for the FAA, which is $131.6 million above the FY2016 enacted level. The Senate THUD appropriations bill would provide the FAA Opera tions account $9.9 billion, the F&E account $2.8 billion, and the Research, Engineering, and Development account $167.5 million. The full Senate is expected to take up the THUD spending bill next, possibly as soon as April 27, following consideration of th e Energy - Water bill. On the House side , hearings have been held on FAA funding but a markup of spending legislation has not yet been announced. As such, we have not seen any