A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/872987
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 U.S. Senate and executive branch, to ensure that our priorities are addressed in any FAA Reauthorization legislation. FY 18 BUDGET PROPOSALS Congressional "budget resolutions" set a tax and spending framework for Congress to enact annual appropriations bills. This year, Republicans are eager to get a Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18) budget resolution passed this fall in order to lay the groundwork for their top priority, which is tax reform. However, a floor vote on the legislation has faced continuous delays. S ee below for details and the status of budget proposals from the White House, Senate, and U.S. House. As a reminder, a budget proposal is not law. NATCA Impact : While both chambers of Congress and the President have the ability to offer budget proposals, Congress still needs to enact specific budget provisions into law. Budget proposals do not have the force of law, but they do serve as a blueprint for the 12 appropriations bills. That is why NATCA analyzes any budget proposal closely to determine the pot ential impact on our member pay and benefits. GA continues to work with members of Congress and their staff to address our concerns, with a specific focus on funding for the FAA as well as any changes to federal employee pay and benefits. House & Senate Budgets : The House Budget Committee approved the Republican - drafted budget proposal for the FY 18 budget on July 19, 2017. Click here to view NATCA's press release on the House budget resolution. So far we have not seen a budget proposal in the Senate. APPROPRIATIONS & POSSIBLE SEQUESTR ATION CUTS With a stopgap now in place to extend current funding levels through Dec. 8, lawmakers have more time to craft a final spending deal for FY 18. The omnibus measure that the House has been working on, which combines the 12 annual spending bills approved by the House Appropriations Committee, would be dead on arrival in the Senate, where bipartisan support would be needed to advance it. The measure also would bust a statutory limit on defense spending and trigger across - the - board cuts to military programs, known as a sequester. Avoiding the sequester would require forging a bipartisan budget deal to raise the spending caps, but there has been no movement on that front. FAA Funding : NATCA has continuously advocated for full funding for the FAA in our relevant Cong ressional appropriations bills (the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, "THUD"). Following this year's "NATCA in Washington" lobby week, which sent our activists to Capitol Hill to request full funding in FY 2018, NATCA was s uccessful in getting increases in the appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. The full House has already passed its version of THUD funding, which would increase funding for the FAA. The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its version of th e THUD bill, which would also provide an increase for the FAA, although the legislation has not come to the Senate floor for a vote yet. The proposed FY 18 spending levels for the FAA are as follows: