A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/851086
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE Congress is only scheduled to be in session for two more weeks until the August recess. However, leaders in the House and Senate have opened up the calendar to potentially include work days in August. Congress still has to tackle issues such as health care overhaul, debt ceiling, the fiscal 2018 budget resolution, and consideration of spending legislation before the fall. The Congressional schedule will likely change in the coming w eeks. HOUSE VOTE ON FAA REAUTHORIZATION EXPECTED As you know, the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee passed H.R. 2997, the " 21 st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act " last month. The Senate also passed it s version of FAA reauthorization, S. 1405, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2017, shortly after. The Senate bill does not contain any ATC reform provision, whereas the House version does include ATC reform. The Senate version does contain controversial langu age on pilot training. The House was originally expected to vote on H.R. 2997 during the week of July 17, but timing is still unclear as leadership continues to ensure there are enough votes for floor passage. It is also unclear when the Senate will schedu le a vote on its version of the legislation. Stay tuned for updates. Background : 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 hav e been holding hearings on the subject in advance of the deadline. Earlier in May, NATCA President Paul Rinaldi testified before the House Transportat ion & Infrastructure Committee. Timeline : The current FAA Reauthorization expires on September 30, coincid ing with the end of this fiscal year. Congress is scheduled to be in recess during the entire month of August, leaving a short period of time for the House and Senate to send a FAA reauthorization bill to the President's desk to be signed into law. As ment ioned above, the House and Senate versions of FAA Reauthorization have stark differences. If the chambers cannot reach an agreement on a long - term FAA r eauthorization bill, it is likely that an extension of the current legislation would be enacted. NATCA Impact : NATCA has played a critical role with Congress in the FAA Reauthorization process. We've continued to work with Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio's respective staff, as well as with the Senate staff and executive branch, to ensure that ou r priorities are addressed in any FAA Reauthorization legislation. NATCA will closely scrutinize any proposal to ensure it meets the priorities of our members. To view a copy of NATCA President Paul Rinaldi's testimony earlier this year before the T&I Comm ittee, please click here . APPROPRIATIONS The federal government is current ly operating under an omnibus spending bill through the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 (until September 30). Before then, Congress will need to reconsider all appropriations bills for FY 2018. House lawmakers are attempting to finish up committee work and move forward on an omnibus spending package before the August recess. THUD Bill : The House Appropriations Committee recently released its fiscal 2018 spending bill for Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) programs. The committee approved the legislation on July 17 by a vote of 31 - 20. NATCA advocated for full funding in this legislation. If enacted, it would provide full funding for