NATCA Bookshelf

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT-A-GLANCE • Funding for the federal government expires on Thursday, Feb. 8 and a government shutdown is possible; • Still awaiting long-term budget and sequestration agreement; • Extension of FAA reauthorization bill likely needed in March. IMPORTANT DATES Feb. 8: Current CR expires, government shutdown possible Feb. 12: President's budget expected End of Feb./Mid-March: Debt ceiling deadline March 31: FAA authorization expires CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House and Senate are in session for the week of Feb. 5. Last week, House and Senate Republicans had a three-day retreat to plan out their legislative agenda for the year. This week, Democratic lawmakers are scheduled to do the same. ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMING Congress will need to pass another continuing resolution (CR) before midnight on Thursday evening, Feb. 8, to avoid a government shutdown. On Monday, Feb. 5, House Republicans proposed a new CR that would provide a full year of defense spending, while continuing current funding levels for non-defense spending. It also includes a two-year extension of funding for community health centers, as well as additional funding to conduct the 2020 Census and provide loans for disaster recovery. The increase in defense spending is necessary to get conservative "Freedom Caucus" lawmakers on board, although it increases the likelihood of Democrats opposing the measure. If a deal is not reached by the Feb. 8 deadline, the government will shut down again at 12:01 a.m. EST, Friday, Feb. 9. The proposed CR, which would be the fifth of this fiscal year, would last through March 23 to provide lawmakers more time to work on a broader budget agreement. Sequestration Still Needs Fix: Congressional leaders still haven't negotiated a bipartisan deal to raise the spending caps imposed under "sequestration." Both Republicans and Democrats agree that spending caps should be raised. But so far, they have been unable to agree on how much the caps should be raised. NATCA Impact: CRs leave the government running on autopilot, simply extending current funding levels without allowing new projects. Congress hasn't completed all 12 regular spending bills on time for any fiscal year since the mid-1990s, relying often on short-term funding patches that continue funding levels from the previous year without major changes. The lack of a stable and predictable funding stream leaves the FAA in financial limbo, and prevents government agencies such as the FAA from starting new projects or adjusting priorities. PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL EXPECTED SOON The annual budget process calls for the White House to submit a budget request to Congress, which lawmakers generally use as a framework to draft their own budget

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