A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/740802
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE : Congress is in recess through the November elections. The House and Senate are scheduled to return on Nov. 14. A "lame duck" Congress is expected to be in session during November and December. BUSY LAME DUCK SESSION COULD BRING ANOTHER SHUTDOWN THREAT : A "lame duck Congress" describes the period between the November elections and the beginning of the new Congressional session in January. During this time period, Congress will need to pass another bill to fund the government before the Dec . 9 deadline, and the funding issue will influence the param eters of the lame duck session. The scope of a lame duck Congress also depends on which presi dential nominee is elected, as well as the results of which party ends up controlling the Senate and how many seats the Democrats pick up in the House. Besides a new spending plan, lawmakers could address a host of other issues. As the Dec . 9 deadline appr oaches, it's likely that we'll hear more about the possibility of a government shutdown. GA is working with members of Congress and staff to ensure they are aware of the negative impact a shutdown has on the NAS. DECEMBER FUNDING BILL : Congress passed a C ontinuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government and avoid a government shutdown by the Sept . 30 deadline, which marked the end of the fiscal year. The CR (H.R. 5325) funds the government until Dec . 9, meaning Congress will need to consider another funding bill when it returns for the lame duck. After a month - long struggle to pass the CR, there are concerns that congressional leaders could have trouble passing another spending bill during the short period of time that they are in session. NATCA Pos ition : NATCA continues to advocate for a stable, predictable funding stream. GA staff ha s also been meeting with congressional staff during recess to advocate in support of the funding levels included in the House and Senate versions of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills. These appropriations bills would provide adequate funding levels that NATCA advocated for throughout the appropriations process, as opposed to simply continuing current funding levels. LOOKING A HEAD TO 115TH CONGRESS : The new 115th Congress will convene at the beginning of January with a new President in the White House. We expect many new members of Congress will be elected to the House and Senate following the November elections, so it will be important to introduce them to NATCA's issues as early as possible. GA is preparing material for DC visits to new members' offices on the first day they are sworn in.