A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/812028
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE Congress is in recess for the next two weeks. As a reminder, Congress has a jam - packed schedule this year and it will be full of legislative activity. APRIL 28 SHUTDOWN DEADLINE With lawmakers in their home states and districts for the next two weeks, any vote on a spending bill will be pushed until the last minute, making a government shutdown more of a threat with each day. Both chambers will return on the evening of April 24 with just four l egisla tive days before the government - funding deadline on April 28. As a reminder, the government is operating on a continuing resolution (CR; P.L. 114 - 254) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. Omnibus, "Cromnibus," or CR? Some type of spending bill will be needed to avoid a government shutdown on April 28. Failure to pass an omnibus package could result in another stop - gap funding bill, also known as a CR, which would simply extend current funding levels. This would leave agencies largely unable to fund any new in itiatives or shift funding priorities from those established more than a year ago. Or, the spending bill could be a combination of the two, known as a "cromnibus," which would extend current spending levels for some agencies while passing new legislation f or others. Before members left town, the latest update was that Congress might consider passing a short - term CR, lasting one or two weeks, to give lawmakers time to pass a comprehensive spending bill while avoiding a government shutdown. Stay tuned for upd ates. NATCA Impact: Congress hasn't completed regular spending bills on time since the mid - 1990s, relying often on short - term funding patches that continue funding levels from the previous year without major changes. The lack of a stable and predictable f unding stream leaves the FAA in financial limbo, and prevents government agencies such as the FAA 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 members and staff as they work towards the FY18 appropriations bill to ensure prope r funding of FAA accounts. FY 18 BUDGET PROPOSALS With an ambitious schedule in Congress this year as members work to implement President Trump's agenda, work on a budget proposal has been delayed. See below for more information on the lack of House and S enate budget proposals, and an update on President Trump's budget proposal. House & Senate Budgets : The collapse of "Obamacare" repeal efforts has introduced new complications into the plan to pass an FY 2018 budget resolution, causing some members of Co ngress to worry that it might not be completed. If Congress is unable to complete an FY 18 budget, it would be the second year in a row that Republicans have been unable to unite around a full budget resolution. White House Budget: On March 16, the White House released its "skinny budget," outlining its priorities for Fiscal Year 20l8. As expected, the budget calls for an increase in defense spending, offset by a decrease in discretionary spending. Specific to NATCA,