A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/703686
GOVERNMENT A FFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE : The House and Senate are scheduled to be in session for just one more week before summer recess begins on July 15. Both chambers will return for a month in September before reces sing again for election season. HO USE PASSES FAA EXTENSION : On Monday, July 11, the House passed an FAA extension by voice vote. On Wednesday, July 13, the Senate passed the extension and it now must be signed into law before the current extension expires on July 15. Chairman Shuster of th e House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee hopes that Congress can continue to develop a long - term, comprehensive FAA bill while this extension is in place. NATCA has been working with our relevant committees in the House and Senate on the e xtension to address the duration of the extension (NATCA successfully lobbied for a longer term extension; more on that below) and the hiring of air traffic controllers. NATCA also worked to ensure that nothing harmful was inserted to the extension. Hiring Language Included : NATCA has been urging support for H.R. 5292, the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Improvement Act of 2016. The FAA extension includes language almost identical to the language in H.R. 5292, which would streamline the hiring process and ens ure a path for Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) students and military Veterans. H.R. 5292 has achieved broad, bipartisan support with upwards of 250 bipartisan cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives in under two months since introduction. Duri ng a recent hearing in the House, NATCA President Paul Rinaldi explained that the staffing situation has reached a crisis level. Rinaldi outlined several recommendations to alleviate the controller staffing crisis, inc luding support for H.R. 5292. Duration of Extension : Prior to House passage of the FAA extension, Congress had been considering a range of options to extend authorization for the Agency since a comprehensive, long - term bi ll has been delayed this year. Some of the options on the table included short - term extensions that ranged anywhere from eight weeks to six months. NATCA advocated for a long - term extension lasting at least one year or more because the NAS requires a stable and predictable funding stream. The FAA extension that passed the House provides stability for the FAA for 14 months, continuing funding through FY 2017. To read NATCA's press release on the FAA extension, please click here . FAA Reform Background : As a reminder, in April, the Senate passed its version of long - term FAA reauthorization legislation (H.R. 636), which would 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 have been unified in their opposit ion 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 C aucus. APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE : There are more than two months left before the new fiscal year begins on October 1, but it's becoming more likely that Congress will delay the completion of FY 17 spending bills until next year , leaving government agencies in financial limbo for a good part of the year. This is often the case during election years and the lame - duck sessions following those elections.