NATCA Bookshelf

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT-A-GLANCE Funding for the federal government expires on March 23. Budget and sequestration agreement should be enacted. Extension of FAA reauthorization bill will likely be needed in March. IMPORTANT DATES March 23: Current government funding bill expires March 31: FAA authorization expires CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House and Senate are in recess for the week of Feb. 19 for Presidents Day. Both chambers will return on Monday, Feb. 26. SECOND GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN OF THE YEAR The government shut down for the second time this year on Feb. 9. The shutdown lasted less than 12 hours while Congress passed a broad, bipartisan budget agreement that included a six-week continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open and funded at current levels until March 23. Congress now has until March 23 to enact a longer-term appropriations bill in accordance with the new budget caps. See below for more information on what the agreement included. Sequestration Fix The budget agreement removes domestic spending caps and prevents automatic cuts known as "sequestration" for the next two years. Sequestration was enacted as a way to cut federal dollars across the board, but Congress has worked to avoid it over the past several years. Debt Ceiling The budget agreement also suspends the debt ceiling until March 1, 2019 to accommodate the increase in domestic federal spending. In recent years, lawmakers and the White House have often clashed over the need to raise or suspend the debt ceiling. This has become an important issue for NATCA since it has disrupted the budget process for the federal government. NATCA Impact The government is now operating on its fifth CR of the fiscal year. 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 RELEASED The President released his budget proposal for FY19 on Feb. 12. NATCA is in the process of reviewing the proposal to fully understand how it would affect our members. As a reminder, this is simply a request and is non-binding. Congress still needs to work through the appropriations process, and NATCA will continue to adamantly oppose

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