Thread: Congress goes on vacation leaving FAA unfunded

The House adjourned Monday after a divisive vote to raise the national debt ceiling, leaving the Senate with an FAA funding extension bill it did not like and could not amend. So the Senate recessed Tuesday night without doing anything.
At issue is a decision by Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican, to add a provision to the funding extension cutting subsidies to rural airports. The measure is opposed by powerful Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.
There's also a dispute over provisions that would make it easier for airline employees to unionize. Democrats support the section; Republicans generally oppose it.
Bolen and 4,000 other FAA employees are stuck in the middle of the dispute. But they're not the only people being hurt. The FAA has stopped hundreds of airport construction projects nationwide, putting about 24,000 construction workers out of work.
Another 35,000 support workers, such as food service vendors, are also affected, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
The FAA says the impasse will also prevent the federal government from collecting approximately $200 million a week in airline passenger taxes -- or about $1.2 billion during the congressional recess.

Congress hits beach, aviation workers hit unemployment lines - CNN.com

This is disgraceful. Where's the leadership from the White House? Where's the leadership in the House? Where is the leadership in the Senate?

For want of a little adult supervision, the government is losing over a billion dollars in tax revenue just during Congress' vacation.

This pathetic failure to fund the FAA has been ongoing for 4 years. For all that time, the agency has been funded piecemeal with temporary patches while the Congress fails to do it's job.

Do a couple hundred people have to be killed in a plane crash before Congress gets it's collective head out of it's ass?

Matt

Talk to the Republicans, they dont want to budge on the union issue.

Sort of shoots the "We dont want the government wasting money" line in the foot.

Originally Posted by Hoplite

Talk to the Republicans, they dont want to budge on the union issue.

Sort of shoots the "We dont want the government wasting money" line in the foot.

Wow, that's all you got out of the article?

Have you looked into this at all beyond that simple partisan one liner?

Originally Posted by MattInFla

This is disgraceful. Where's the leadership from the White House? Where's the leadership in the House? Where is the leadership in the Senate?

For want of a little adult supervision, the government is losing over a billion dollars in tax revenue just during Congress' vacation.

This pathetic failure to fund the FAA has been ongoing for 4 years. For all that time, the agency has been funded piecemeal with temporary patches while the Congress fails to do it's job.

Do a couple hundred people have to be killed in a plane crash before Congress gets it's collective head out of it's ass?

Matt

This foreshadows what is coming with Healthcare in the U.S. as the government gets into it further and further.

People that think the E.R.s of this nation or Ambulance services will be better funded than the FAA should really need to get their heads out of their asses.

The FAA said this wont affect safety, so who cares? Keep it shut down permanently I say. Better part of 18bn saved right there. Thatll pay for the 20bn in new education spending in the debt deal.

Originally Posted by JDJarvis

This foreshadows what is coming with Healthcare in the U.S. as the government gets into it further and further.

People that think the E.R.s of this nation or Ambulance services will be better funded than the FAA should really need to get their heads out of their asses.

What does all this rant have to do with the OP?

IMO the FAA is kind of important. They keep the plains from running into each other.

Congress and Senate should be in DC doing their jobs, not out collecting money from their donors.

I agree in part though. Congress doesnt need a break right now. Neither does Obama who is out campaigning. If everyones concerned why are they giving speeches instead of working at their office to get this done? Furthermore, this could have been averted if democrats had passed a budget last year. Furthermore, didnt the budget passed in January deal with this?

It's election time... Nothing good can come of it... We need term limits why does the presidency have it but the congress does not?

Originally Posted by jviehe

I agree in part though. Congress doesnt need a break right now. Neither does Obama who is out campaigning. If everyones concerned why are they giving speeches instead of working at their office to get this done? Furthermore, this could have been averted if democrats had passed a budget last year. Furthermore, didnt the budget passed in January deal with this?

Let's see if I can play the partisan game also, I admit I'm not as good at as you but:

Congress should have taken care of this before they went on vacation, I guess the GOP/T.P. controlled congress aren't concerned about the safety of our Airports/Air travel.

Maybe I need more practice at the "us vs them" game.

Originally Posted by wooyarn

Let's see if I can play the partisan game also, I admit I'm not as good at as you but:

Congress should have taken care of this before they went on vacation, I guess the GOP/T.P. controlled congress aren't concerned about the safety of our Airports/Air travel.

Maybe I need more practice at the "us vs them" game.

Which party am I beholden to again? Im confused because I criticized both parties. Independant party maybe?