A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/693369
FAA DEADLINE LOOMING : T&I Committee Chairman Bill Shuster has made it clear that he does not want to abandon his plan (H.R. 4441; the AIRR Act ), which NATCA supports. However, without enough support for the proposal and as we get closer to the July 15 deadline for FAA authority, time is winding down for the Chairman to determine the final path for reauthorization. The strategy remains to be seen , but Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio have both agreed that they do not want to capitulate to the Senate bill. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce, Science , and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune continues to stress the need for a full, long - t erm FAA reauthorization bill instead of another short - term extension. Background : A short - term extension (H.R. 4721) is currently in place to extend aviation programs and excise taxes through July 15. In April, the Senate passed its version of long - term F AA reauthorization legislation (H.R. 636), which would only reauthorize the FAA through Fiscal Year 2017. In the House, the T&I Committee approved H.R. 4441 back in February, which includes air traffic control reform, but that legislation has yet to come t o the House floor for a vote. House Democrats are unified in their opposition against separating ATC from government, and the Republican caucus has yet to get in line behind the proposal with many members of Congress still opposed to the issue, most notabl y including members on the Appropriations and Ways & Means Committees, as well as members of the Freedom Caucus. APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE : Following the collapse of a relatively noncontroversial Energy and Water appropriations bill on the House floor, House leadership turned to the Legislative Branch appropriations bill. This time, lawmakers considered the legislation under a "structured rule," which prohibited controversial amendments that can easily derail the appropriations process. On June 10, the House approved the fiscal year 2017 Legislative Branch appropriations bill by a vote of 233 - 175. The House will now consider the Defense appropriations measure, while the Senate will consider the Commerce/Science/Justice appropriations bill. THUD Funding : The f ull Senate passed its version of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill on May 19, and the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the legislation on May 24. The Senate THUD spending bill, if enacted, w ould provide $16.4 billion for the FAA, which is $131.6 million above the FY2016 enacted level. Specifically, the Senate version would provide the FAA Operations account $9.9 billion ($54 million over the President's request), the F&E account $2.8 billion, and the Research, Engineering, and Development account $167.5 million. This is great news for NATCA, especially considering that other THUD programs received cuts. The House THUD spending bill would provide $16.3 billion for the FAA. Specifically, the bil l would provide the marks NATCA advocated for --- $9.994 billion in the FAA Operations account, and $2.838 billion in the F&E account. Background : As a reminder, there are 12 spending bills for both chambers to get through in order to fund the government before Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) starts on October 1. If that doesn't happen, a continuing resolution (CR) will need to be enacted to keep the government open. NATCA GA staff monitors the THUD appropriations bill, which is the spending measure that provides funding to the FAA. NATCA GA staff has been continuously meeting with members of both the full House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as committee staff, to make sure they know the importance of sufficient funding for the FAA to NATCA members. Status of Appropriations Bills : So far, the House has passed the Mil - Con VA and Legislative Branch appropriations bills, while the Senate has passed THUD, Mil - Con VA, and the Energy - Water bill.