A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/793416
While the Administration's budget does not have the force of law, it serves as a blueprint for Congress to work on the 12 appropriations bills. NATCA will analyze any budget proposal closely to determine any potential impact on NATCA member pay and benefits. DEBT CEILING DEADLINE With the federal debt nearing its limit and Congress unwilling to raise the limit, lawmakers reached a bipartisan budget deal in 2015 ( P.L. 114 - 74) that simply suspended the existence of any debt limit until March 15 of this year. That means Congress will need to take action to either raise or suspend the debt limit again to avoid risking a default. However, lawmakers may not have to act by the March 15 date, as the U.S. Treasury can take measures to temporarily extend the government's borrowing capacity. APPROPRIATIONS FORECAST Congress hasn't completed regular spending bills on time since the mid - 1990s, relying often on short - term fund ing patches that continue funding levels from the previous year without major changes. The government is currently operating a continuing resolution (CR) funding measure (P.L. 114 - 254) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 that is set to expire on April 28. Due to the heavy volume of current legislative business that is pending in the Senate, all indications are that another CR will be needed to avoid a government shutdown. Timeline Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is already predicting that there will be limited time for consideration of FY 18 appropriations bills this year. The sheer amount of legislative business on the agenda will likely leave little time to complete all 12 regular spending bills needed to fund the government before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. Government Shutdown Threat With the current CR set to expire on April 28, there is growing concern among lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill that spending fights over government funding for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico could lea d to the first government shutdown threat of the Trump administration. The likelihood of a shutdown could increase further if Republicans attach the funding request for a border wall to legislation to keep the government open past April 28. NATCA Impact T he lack of a stable and predictable funding stream leaves the FAA in financial limbo, and prevents government agencies from starting new projects or adjusting priorities. NATCA GA staff continues to meet with members of Congress and their staff to remind t hem of the importance of a stable, predictable funding stream, and the consequences of a government shutdown. NATCA GA staff has also been meeting with House and Senate appropriations committee staff as they work towards the next the next funding bill. DO T INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT ON FAA ' S ATC HIRING The DOT Inspector General (IG) released an Audit Report on Feb. 15, 2017, regarding FAA progress on the FAA 's controller workforce plan. The Report concluded that while the FAA has taken steps to improve its h iring processes, the Agency has opportunities to apply lessons learned as it works to roll out and implement future changes, such as the new changes that NATCA advocated for in H.R. 5292, the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Improvement Act of 2016, and were mandated under the FAA Extension, Safety, and