Congress Must Act to Prevent a Government Shutdown
- Details
- Published: September 25, 2015
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS) is expressing concern with thee continued disagreement in Congress that may result in another government shutdown, similar to the one that occurred in 2013.
In 2013, as a result of the government shutdown, approximately 15,000 FAA employees were kept off the job, including over 4,000 employees—aviation safety inspectors, manufacturing inspectors, computer specialists, and others—represented by PASS. For each day of the over two weeks the government was at a standstill, aviation safety inspectors were not providing oversight of commercial and general aviation aircraft, pilots, flight instructors, and domestic and foreign repair stations; conducting in-flight cockpit inspections or ramp inspections; overseeing third-party designees performing critical work on behalf of the FAA or air carriers; or issuing new or renewing current certificates. Manufacturing inspectors did not provide manufacturing production approval and certification, evaluate aviation mechanics, facilities, training programs and equipment, or address issues related to manufacturing facilities. Computer specialists were not on duty to provide support in order to ensure seamless operations. The FAA was forced to operate under maintenance restrictions that prevented technicians from fully addressing equipment and system issues, which resulted in reduced redundancy and restoration at many airports across the country. Modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS) was stopped in its tracks, with training and progress of initiatives suffering delays and considerable setbacks. Every FAA employee was impacted by the shutdown, whether it was being forced off the job or continuing to serve the FAA without pay. In fact, the FAA has only recently fully recovered from the impacts of the 2013 shutdown.
Furthermore, the shutdown had an incredibly negative impact on the economy of the aviation industry. With Civil Aircraft Registry employees furloughed during the shutdown, the FAA could not issue registration certificates for aircraft or airmen. Manufacturing companies were able to build aircraft and airplane parts, but the purchase or sale of these parts could not occur without the written approval of the FAA, which was not able to take place due to the shutdown. More than 10,000 aircraft registrations expire each month and they could not be renewed because the registry was closed and employees were not at work. There is no question that the 2013 government shutdown severely impacted the general aviation industry and America’s economy and infrastructure. Another shutdown will only have similar, if not greater, impacts on the country.
Aviation plays a critical role in today’s economy and provides invaluable services to the flying American public and the military. The aviation system provides $1.5 trillion through the commercial aviation industry and 12 million American jobs. It is imperative that such a major aspect of this country’s economy be adequately and consistently funded. As recently reported, the 2013 government shutdown cost this country $24 billion, including 6.6 million days of lost work and $2 billion in back pay. Regarding the FAA, the inconsistent funding stream continues to have negative impacts, including limited hiring and lapses in modernization. For the growth of the U.S. aviation system, this cannot be allowed to continue. The FAA must be adequately funded in order permit federal employees nationwide to continue doing the work they do every day to keep the aviation system safely functioning.