Shutdown Of FAA Possible In House-Senate Clash

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A quarrel between the House and Senate over union organizing by airline and railroad workers could lead to a shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA's operating authority expires on Friday. The agency has operated under a series of 20 short-term extensions since Sept. 30, 2007, because lawmakers have been unable to agree on a long-term funding bill.

The FAA's 15,500 air traffic controllers are essential employees and would continue to work even if the agency's operating authority were to expire, Republican lawmakers told the House Rules Committee on Tuesday.
---CLIP

However, former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said it's likely that other workers would face furloughs. The agency employs about 32,000 workers in addition to controllers. The extent of the furloughs would depend in part on how much cash is available in the federal trust fund for aviation programs and how long the shutdown goes on, she said.

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[MineralMan]

1. How nice. Just what we need.

[strategery blunder]

2. Oh, great. I hope ATC aren't the ONLY essential FAA employees.

I hope the FAA's ability to conduct maintenance inspections is also "essential." The last thing aviation needs is more shoddy-maintenance accidents to add to the hassles imposed by TSA.

Of course, nor do I believe workers should be forced to work without pay. Unfortunately, Raygun pretty much busted the option of just shutting the system down, which would be a PITA for everyone involved, but at least it wouldn't result in plane crashes because the FAA couldn't ensure aircraft were properly maintained.

Congre$$ needs to get its $hit together. No surprise there. :grr:

[damntexdem]

4. Without maintenance inspections, all flights should be grounded.

There, then the flight controllers (other than military ones) would no longer be "essential." ;-)

And the bright side: no TSA pat-downs. ;-)

[Permanut]

3. A quarrel?

That's what happens between six year olds on the playground. A disagreement? That's what you have when you want the red car and your wife prefers the blue one. A dispute? That's what happens when the store is reluctant to take back the defective ladder you bought yesterday.

And all of these terms imply some kind of equivalency, like the two sides are morally equal, they just happen to disagree. Horseshit. There is no eqivalency between Republicans attacking working people (again), and those who seek to prevent it. The issue is one of morality, of life and death decisions. There is a right, and there is a wrong, and IMHO they are in no way eqivalent.

Rant off.

[sakabatou]

5. So how much more will the Repubs kill?

[udbcrzy2]

6. Is that where the lower gas prices will come from? (sarcasm ) n/t