A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow air traffic controllers to be paid during future government shutdowns, drawing on a little-used federal insurance fund to cover salaries and key Federal Aviation Administration functions. The proposal follows the 43-day shutdown that ended last week, which led to widespread delays and cancellations as staffing pressures intensified across the national airspace system.
The fund, originally established to reimburse airlines if the government commandeers and damages their aircraft, holds roughly $2.6 billion, and sponsors say using it could limit the overall cost of keeping controllers paid during funding lapses.
The bill is backed by U.S. Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington and Andre Carson of Indiana; and Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, who leads the House aviation subcommittee.
“This bill guarantees that controllers, who have one of the most high-pressure jobs in the nation, will get paid during any future funding lapses,” Graves told the Associated Press.
The measure would stop drawing from the fund if its balance falls below $1 billion, though committee staffers estimate the remainder could sustain FAA operations for four to six weeks.
Its introduction comes as a Senate subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, prepares to review the shutdown’s impacts. Various iterations of the Aviation Funding Stability Act have made appearances over the years, and companion House versions have been introduced by Reps. Steve Cohen and Aaron Bean.
Support from industry groups intensified Wednesday when the Modern Skies Coalition urged Congress to protect the aviation ecosystem from future shutdowns.
The coalition said travelers and shippers pay nearly $24 billion annually in taxes and fees and “deserve uninterrupted delivery of those services.”
The group voiced strong support for Moran’s bill, along with the House companion measures from Cohen and Bean, as well as the new proposal from Graves and Larsen. The coalition said these approaches would allow the FAA to draw on user-funded accounts to ensure controllers, technicians, inspectors, TSA officers and CBP personnel remain compensated.
“There is no reason aviation should be subjected to shutdowns that result from Washington’s inability to come to a consensus on funding bills,” the statement said. “Enough is enough. The time for this common sense and critical legislation is now.”
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