A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/797457
heavy volume of current le gislative business that is pending in the Senate, all indications are that another CR will be needed to avoid a government shutdown. As a reminder, Congress hasn't completed regular spending bills on time since the mid - 1990s, relying often on short - term fu nding patches that continue funding levels from the previous year without major changes. FY 17 Appropriations : House Speaker Paul Ryan has indicated that he wants to pass an FY 2017 defense appropriations bill in the House, which will likely be considered on the House floor during the week of March 6. As a reminder, the Military Construction - VA bill passed with the CR last year. The fate of the 10 other spending bills from FY 2017 remains unclear. There likely isn't time to consider and pass the other spen ding bills before the April 28 deadline. NATCA Impact : The 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 them 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 staf f as they work towards the next the next funding bill. DEBT CEILING DEADLINE AHEAD The latest estimates of the absolute final date for raising the debt limit range from late August all the way into November. The current debt limit suspension will expire a nd reset to about $20 trillion on March 16. Congress could either put off raising the borrowing ceiling until late summer or fall and still avoid a government default if, as expected, the U.S. Treasury employs "extraordinary measures" to temporarily extend the government's borrowing capacity. As you may recall, in 2015, Congress reached a deal that simply suspended the existence of any debt limit until March 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. NATCA Impact : If Congress does not reach agreement and fails to raise, or suspend, the limit on the debt ceiling, the consequences would be unprecedented; no one knows the exact scale of the impact. However, some financ ial analysts believe that hitting the debt ceiling would raise interest rates and lead to immediate cuts in government spending, which could impact NATCA members. In the past, the debt limit has always been raised or suspended before the debt reached the l imit. NATCA will continue to monitor the debt ceiling debate for any pote ntial impact on NATCA members. LEGISLATIVE WATCHLIST In addition to executive actions from President Trump, Congress is already working on anti - federal employee bills. With Republica ns officially in control of the House, Senate, and White House, the number of proposals that would negatively impact federal employees will rise. GA staff has been and will continue preparing to fight th ese proposals.