Recess turns into fight over FAA
Updated with statement from Cardin
A day after Congress settled the longstanding debate over the nation’s debt ceiling, Maryland lawmakers are reacting to the next crisis caused by partisan gridlock: The partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, which has caused thousands of employees to be furloughed.
In a testy press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Rep. Steny Hoyer blasted House Republicans for the impasse, arguing that both the House and Senate could approve legislation to temporarily extend FAA funding, even though most lawmakers have left Washington for the summer recess.
“It will cost more than $200 million per week. It has already cost us $360 million. This is from the party that is worried about fiscal responsibility,” said the Southern Maryland lawmaker, who is the second-highest ranking Democrat in the House. “We need to get this done and we should get it done today.”
In a statement, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin called the impasse "yet another attack on public-sector workers."
"Hardworking FAA employees are going without a paycheck and are at risk of losing their health care coverage. Some FAA inspectors are still on the job, but are putting official travel costs on their personal credit card," he said. "This is unacceptable."
The Republican-led House of Representatives passed an extension of FAA funding that would keep the agency running through Sept. 16, but Senate Democrats have balked at that proposal, which includes $14 million in cuts in federal subsidies for rural airports. Democrats and Republicans have also wrestled over the rules that dictate how airline workers may unionize.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner called on the Senate to pass the bill approved by the House. In a statement, he claimed Senate Democrats were playing politics with the issue.
“I respect the fact that senators have certain objections, but they have had two weeks to respond to the House bill and done nothing, leaving tens of thousands of workers in limbo,” Boehner said. “The House has done its job, and now it’s time for senators to do theirs.”
Budget authority for the agency ran out on July 23. The U.S. Department of Transportation says that some 4,000 FAA workers – and an additional 70,000 contract employees – have been furloughed. In Maryland, stop-work orders have been issued for six contracts, including work on a new radar system for Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
One of those contractors, Greenbelt, Md.-based Applied Integrated Technologies, has had to stop work on a $3.5 million contract in which they are helping to develop new air traffic control software. Tom Ockuly, the company’s chief operating officer, said there is concern the company may have to reduce its workforce if the impasse continues.
“We can probably hold out for a month, if they act quickly when they get back in September,” said Ockuly, whose company employs 100 people, most in Maryland.
Though Congress is in recess, both chambers technically continue to meet in “pro forma” sessions. That would allow legislative leaders to pass a short-term extension if no single lawmaker objected. Other options include calling members back to Washington once an agreement is reached, or allowing the furloughs to continue until Congress reconvenes next month.
Allowing the shutdown to continue for a month also means forgoing $1 billion in airline ticket tax revenue.
“I think it’s scandalous that we left – the Congress left – before resolving this issue,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Montgomery County Democrat, told MSNBC on Wednesday. “This is an example of where Congress totally failed.”
The outcome could also have an impact on Hagerstown Regional Airport, which is one of more than 100 airports that benefit from federal subsidies.
In a press conference Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged members of Congress to “end your vacation for a coupe of days…get off the beach” and end the standoff.
Comments
So the Senate, controlled by Democrats, is too lazy to act on the House's passed FAA legislation or send any of their own legislation over, yet this is blamed on Republicans? My o my. Up is down and down is up now I see.
Posted by: James | August 3, 2011 3:40 PM
You see it as Democrats being too lazy. I see it as Republicans trying to push their agenda of hurting the american working and helping their buddies in big business. The rural airports employ thousands. Most of which are small business.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 3, 2011 6:25 PM
This article does not tell the whole story. Attached to this bill are 2 items that cause the Repubicans to balk:
1. It continues funding for remote airports to subsidize fares - in Hagerstown, something like $89 for every passenger is underwritten by feds, and the number rises as high as $3000 for some town in Nevada
2. There is a rider attached dropped in by the very pro union Natl Labor Relations Board that makes a union organizing vote MUCH easier
that's the rest of the story
Posted by: ME in Towson | August 3, 2011 8:20 PM
With unemployment at 16% for construction workers-nationwide plus another 4000 FAA workers furloughed, what the hell is going on in this country?
Our elected " leaders" no longer represent their constituents-rather can only focus on their personal greed and agendas.
AMERICA-WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Richard | August 3, 2011 10:06 PM
Why don't they just temporarily extend the authorization to collect the $30 million a day in fees and then deal with rural airport subsidies and union rules when they come back from the summer recess?
Posted by: Andy | August 3, 2011 10:28 PM
@James: To be clear, on Tuesday the Democrats in the Senate offered a proposal that would have cut subsidies to rural airports, but in a more broad-based way and restored funding to the FAA. The House majority leader, when adding the EAS (Essential Air Service) provision to the House's short-term FAA funding bill, acknowledged that it was a political move, an attempt to force Democrats' hands on unionization issues in a separate bill. It wasn't about being fiscally responsible or saving government funds. He acknowledged it was a political move, and the subsidy cuts were very limited to specific airports in prominent Senate Democrats' jurisdictions. When the Senate Dems offered subsidy cuts in a more broad-based and rational way on Tuesday, rather than the focused political version offered by the House, Senate Republicans blocked it. I repeate, the Senate Dems were willing to REDUCE SUBSIDIES, but in a more broad way affecting more airports, not completely cutting a small number of airports so as to anger specific Senate Democrats. So who is being reasonable? I hardly think House Republicans are being reasonable when they acknowledge their bill is politically motivated, not fiscally motivated. Get informed, James.
Posted by: Gail | August 3, 2011 11:38 PM