A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/799968
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 fu nding 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 and 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 y ou 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. NATC A 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 financial analysts believe that hitting the deb t 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 limit. NATCA will continue to mo nitor the debt ceiling debate for any potential impact on NATCA members. NATCA SI GNS ONTO MSPB LETTER Last week, NATCA signed on to a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D - NY) and Ranking Senator Claire McCaskill (D - MO) advocating for the Se nate to fill a slot on the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) with the nomination Democrat Julia Akins Clark. The MSPB is an independent federal agency created by the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 and charged with safeguarding federal sector m erit principles and employee rights, ensuring adherence to merit principles and laws, and safeguarding the effective operation of the merit principles in practice throughout the Executive Branch. The MSPB's three Board Members, including the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Board Member, are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Presently, only one Board Member is serving and, as a result, there are two vacant MSPB Member positions and a lack of quorum, meaning the Board cannot issue decisions o n pending cases.