GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
IMPORTANT DATES
March 23: Current funding bill expires.
March 31: FAA authorization expires.
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
The House and Senate are in session for the week of March 19. Both chambers are
scheduled to recess for a two-week Easter break at the end of the week.
LOOMING DEADLINES ON FEDERAL SPENDING & FAA
Funding for the federal government is due by Friday, March 23, and FAA reauthorization
is due by March 31.
LATEST UPDATE – March 21. Please click here.
NATCA Impact
The government is currently 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 has not 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.
LONG-TERM FAA REAUTHORIZATION
As mentioned above, the current FAA extension is set to expire on March 31. House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Shuster has conceded that his
FAA reauthorization bill, H.R. 2997, the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and
Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, was unable to reach the necessary level of support for the
bill to come to the House floor for a vote. As such, the House and Senate will need to
work together on a new long-term FAA reauthorization proposal. Another short-term
extension of FAA authority will be needed (see the "latest update," linked above) while
Congress works on a broader bill.
NATCA Impact
Throughout the FAA reauthorization process, NATCA has continuously engaged
members of Congress on the path forward. NATCA has highlighted the need for a stable,
predictable funding stream that adequately supports the following: air traffic control
services, staffing, hiring and training, long-term modernization projects, preventative
maintenance, ongoing modernization to the physical infrastructure, and the timely
implementation of NextGen modernization projects. That engagement will continue as
the House and Senate switch gears to come up with a new FAA reauthorization proposal.
FAA FUNDING STATUS
NATCA has continued to advocate for full funding for the FAA in our relevant
Congressional appropriations bills (the Transportation, Housing, and Urban
Development Appropriations bill, "THUD"). The House has already passed its version of
a THUD bill for FY 18, which would increase funding for the FAA. The Senate
Appropriations Committee has approved its version of the THUD bill, which would also
