A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/823383
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House is in recess during the week of May 9 while the Senate is in session. As a reminder, Congress has a jam - packed schedule this year and it will be full of legislative activity. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AVERTED AS FY 17 SPENDING BILL IS PASSED On Sunday, April 30, House and Senate leadership announced a deal on an omnibus spending bill to fund gov ernment agencies through the remainder of FY17. The go vernment was operating under a one - week continuing resolution (CR; H. J. Res. 99). The deal contains full appropriations funding for the 11 remaining federal agencies that have not yet been funded in FY 17, as opposed to the CR, which extended current spending levels for these agencies. On Wednesday, May 3 , the House passed the spending bill by a vote of 309 - 118, followed by Senate passage on Thursday, May 4 by a vote of 79 - 18. President Trump signed th e bill into law on Friday, May 5. The legislation will fund the federal government through September, and prevented a government shutdown for the time being. Please click here to view NATCA President Paul Rinaldi's statement on the spending deal. FAA Funding: The spending bill would provide $16.4 billion for the FAA, which is $127 million more than the FY 16 enacted level. Below are specifics on funding levels for the individual accounts. The funding allows for a two - year carry over in the operations account — a critical adjustment that will ensure that the ATC hiring process is continuous and potentially help mitigate other negative effects of sequestra tion. This one - time funding flexibility will ensure the continuity of operations during the annual transition from one year to the next. $10,025,852,000 for the FAA Operations $2,855,000,000 for the FAA Facilities & Equipment $176,500,000 for the FAA R esearch, Engineering & Development NATCA Impact : Congress hasn't completed all the regular spending bills on time for any fiscal year since the mid - 1990s, relying often on short - term funding patches that continue funding levels from the previous year wit hout major changes. The lack of a stable and predictable funding 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 th ey now shift towards consideration of the FY18 appropriations bill to ensure proper funding of FAA accounts. SEPT. 30 SHUTDOWN SCENARIO A government shutdown this fall still isn't getting ruled out as an option by the Trump administration. President Trump 's Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney, defended a shutdown as a potentially useful tool to change the budget process amid frustration with the lag in appropriations bills. But most lawmakers of both parties say they're determined