GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
Both the House and Senate are in session the week of June 12. Looking ahead, both
Chambers will continue to be in session until the July 4 recess week.
FAA REAUTHORIZATIO N
The current FAA Reauthorization is set to expire on Sept . 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 deadline. Earlier in May, N ATCA
President Paul Rinaldi testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee. To view a copy of his testimony, please click here .
On June 8, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee held another hearing
focused on FAA reauthorization, entitled "Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for
America: F ederal Aviation Administration Authorization," where U.S. Department of
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was the sole witness. On the Senate side, the
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing entitled "FAA
Reauthorization: Adminis tration Perspectives" on June 7, where Chao was the sole
witness. So far, neither the House nor the Senate has released a bill to reauthorize the
FAA, but each chamber is hoping to introduce their own version of FAA Reauthorization
legislation before the F ourth of July recess.
Timing : Considering that the House and Senate is in recess for the entire month of
August, and the House is considering a 12 - bill omnibus (see more information below),
timing is extremely limited leading up to the Sept . 30 deadline. That means an extension
is more and more likely for FAA Reauthorization.
White House Proposal : President Trump announced plans to overhaul the U . S . air traffic
control system. In a White House East Room ceremony, the President, Secretary of
Transportati on Elaine Chao , and others spoke about a proposal to transition control of
the nation's skies away from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ). Click here to
view a message that NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and EVP Trish Gilbert sent out to
the membership . Following the announcement, Secretary Chao testified before the
committees of jurisdiction to elaborate on the Administration's position on ATC reform.
R anking Member DeFazio Proposal : House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking
Member Peter DeFazio (D - Ore. - 4) introduced H.R. 2800, the Aviation Funding Stability
Act. The legislation, if enacted, would provide a stable, predictable funding stream for
th e NAS by taking the Airport and Airway Trust Fund "off budget." Specifically, the bill
would exempt the Trust Fund's uncommitted cash balance from the Congressional
budget process, sequestration, and directives issued by the Office of Management and
Budget . The bill also would authorize the uncommitted Trust Fund balance to be used
for rebuilding and modernizing air traffic control facilities. NATCA supports the provisions
in this bill. Click here to view a message from NATCA President Rinaldi and EVP Gilbert
to the membership.
NATCA Impact: NATCA has played a critical role with Congress in the FAA
Reauthorization process. During the 114th Congress, NATC A 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
