A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/885933
A Congressional "budget resolution" sets a spending framework for Congress to enact annual approp riations bills. This year, Republicans are eager to get an FY 2018 budget resolution passed in order to lay the groundwork for their top priority, which is tax reform. This is achieved through a legislative tool known as "reconciliation." As a reminder, a budget proposal does not get signed into law. UPDATE : The Senate Budget Committee passed their FY 2018 budget resolution on Thursday, Oct . 5. As expected, the resolution include s reconciliation instructions. A Senate floor vote is expected in mid - October. Meanwhile, the House passed its version of the FY 2018 budget resolution by a vote of 219 - 206 on Thursday, Oct . 5. Next Steps : If a final budget is agreed to by both the House and Senate, it does not get presented to the President for signature and does not have the force of law. It simply outlines the overall congressional budget proposal, while providing Congress with the ability to use the "reconciliation" option to proceed with tax reform. The next step would be for relevant committees to introduce l egislation relating to provisions in the budget. While there is no specific legislation introduced yet that would eliminate the SSA annuity supplement, NATCA is working with the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and House leadership to protect the SSA annuity supplement, as well as fighting against any other proposals that are harmful to NATCA members. NATCA Impact : While budget proposals do not have the force of law, they do set a framework for spending priorities. That is why NATCA analyzes any b udget proposal to determine the potential impact on our members. GA continues to work with members of Congress and their staff to address our concerns, with a specific focus on any changes to fede ral employee pay and benefits. APPROPR IATIONS & SEQUESTRATI ON A continuing resolution (CR) is currently in effect to provide government funding for three months, until Dec . 8, 2017. See below for more information on FAA funding, sequestration, and the possibility of a government shutdown later this year. Approp riations : With a CR now in place through December, lawmakers have more time to craft a final spending deal for FY 18. House Republicans have passed a $1.23 trillion catchall spending package (H.R. 3354) that would fund the government for the new fiscal yea r, but the bill stands almost no chance of going anywhere in the Senate where Democrats would block consideration. The package bundled together the 12 annual appropriations bills and is mainly being used as political messaging at this point, claiming that this is the first time the House has passed all 12 funding bills on time since 2009. However, it has no chance of becoming law by the new fiscal year and it is not considered "on budget," since it violates the deficit - cutting law (P.L. 112 - 25) by exceeding the cap for defense spending. If it were to become law (which, as mentioned, is highly unlikely), the legislation would trigger across - the - board spending cuts to military programs, known as sequester. Sequestration Cuts : As part of the current CR, there will be no sequestration trigger during this funding period (through Dec . 8). As a reminder, the Budget Control Act (P.L. 112 - 25) imposed limits on spending through FY 2021 in an effort to curb mounting deficits, but it has faced growing criticism on Capi tol Hill even among Republican lawmakers. The across - the - board spending cuts, known as sequester, have been eased over the years through bipartisan budget deals that have allowed for higher spending