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CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE: The House was in recess for the week ending July 1, while the Senate was in session until Thursday. The clock is ticking as Congress gets closer to its scheduled summer recess starting July 15. NATCA URGES SUPPORT FOR H.R. 5292: Following NATCA's annual lobby week, "NATCA in Washington," activists and Government Affairs staff have urged members of Congress to support and cosponsor H.R. 5292, the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Improvement Act of 2016. So far, there are over 237 bipartisan cosponsors on this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. During a recent hearing in the House, NATCA President Paul Rinaldi explained that the staffing situation has reached a crisis level. Rinaldi outlined several recommendations, including increasing annual hiring totals and passage of H.R. 5292. H.R. 5292 MARK-UP POSTPONED: The T&I Committee originally planned to consider H.R. 5292 during markup on Thursday, June 23. However, the markup was postponed due to a change in the House schedule. The House recessed early and will not return until Tuesday, July 5 when a path forward on H.R. 5292 will be clearer. We are looking at any and all potential legislative vehicles to move this important language. BACKGROUND: H.R. 5292 was introduced by Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL-26) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18) and would improve the hiring of air traffic controllers by streamlining the process and ensuring a path for Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) students and military Veterans. So far, the bill has achieved broad, bipartisan support with over 237 cosponsors split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Click here to view more information about H.R. 5292, titled "Air Traffic Controller Hiring Improvement Act of 2016." FAA DEADLINE LOOMING: Congress will have a little more than a week to reauthorize authority for the FAA, which is due by July 15. Details should be finalized circa the end of the week ending July 8. The sense is that the House and Senate will agree to try to move an extension with some policy riders on it. NATCA has been working with our relevant committees in the House and Senate on the extension on moving one of our key issues and avoiding any harmful language. We expect to be able to share more detailed information later this week. 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 FAA 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 to 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 notably including members on the Appropriations and Ways & Means Committees, as well as members of the Freedom Caucus. APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE: The appropriations process continues to hit roadblocks with Senate consideration of the final version of the Military Construction-VA spending bill this week. This appropriations bill is traditionally the first and least controversial of the 12 annual measures needed to fund the government. But there appears to be a lack of support for the measure because it's attached to a contested funding package intended to combat the Zika virus, and the President has promised to veto the bill. In other words, the push by Republican leaders to restore regular and timely order to the appropriations process continues to face trouble.

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