A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/826356
GOVERNMENT AF FAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House and Senate are in session for the week of May 15. NATCA PRESIDENT RINALDI TESTIFIES ON ATC REFORM NATCA President Paul Rinaldi testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Wedn esday, May 17 at a hearing titled "The Need to Reform FAA and Air Traffic Control to Build a 21st Century Aviation System for America." In his testimony, Rinaldi reaffirm ed NATCA's position on the need for a stable, predictable funding stream as the Commit tee continues its work to provide a long - term reauthorization for the FAA. Stay tuned for updates. Click here to read his testimony. FAA Rea uthorization Update : The current FAA Reauthorization is set to expire on September 30, coinciding with the end of this fiscal year. The committees of jurisdiction in both the House and Senate have been holding hearings on the subject in advance of the dead line. So far, neither the House nor the Senate has released a bill to reauthorize the FAA. House T&I Chairman Bill Shuster said that he would like to move an FAA reauthorization bill out of the House before the summer recess in August. On the Senate side, Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune wants his committee to mark up an FAA reauthorization in June and hopes it will hit the Senate floor the following month. NATCA Impact : NATCA has played a critical role with Congress in the FAA Reauthorization process. During the 114th Congress, NATCA supported Chairman Shuster's proposal (H.R. 4441; the AIRR Act) to reform air traffic control and provide a stable, predictable funding stream. NATCA also worked with Ranking Member Peter DeFazio on his proposal, but he ult imately decided not to introduce it. NATCA continues to work with the committees of jurisdiction, as well as with the executive branch, to ensure that our priorities are addressed in any FAA Reauthorization legislation. NATCA will closely scrutinize any pr oposal to ensure it meets the priorities of our members. FAA APPROPRIATIONS The federal government is now operating under an omnibus spending bill through the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 (until September 30). Below is an update on the current FAA funding levels, and how the appropriations process impacts NATCA. In advance of September 30, Congress will need to reconsider all appropriations bills for FY 2018. GA staff will keep you updated throughout the process. FAA Funding : The new spending bill provides $16.4 billion for the FAA, which is $127 million more than the FY 2016 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 sequestration. 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 Research, Engineering & Development 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