NATA Statement on Congress Approving Spending Bill to Fund FAA for FY2015

Alexandria, VA, December 13, 2014 – This evening the Senate approved the $1.1 trillion federal spending bill that will fund most government agencies, including the FAA, through September 2015. The House approved the bill, 219-206, on Thursday.  Today’s Senate action completes the legislative process and the bill now moves on to President Obama for signature. Known as the “Cromnibus,” the massive spending bill combines 11 of the 12 appropriations bills for FY2015, including the bill funding the FAA.  The legislation also extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security for three months.

The legislation provides the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with $15.72 billion, roughly $440 million over the Administration request. The bill contains funding for NextGen implementation and rejects Administration user fee proposals. The following is a statement by National Air Transportation Association President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks on Congressional approval: 

“We commend Congress for acting on this important legislation that will fund the FAA for the balance of the fiscal year,” stated NATA President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks. “Taking such action funds important priorities such as NextGen and removes the budgetary uncertainty the agency faces when operating under short-term funding bills. We deeply appreciate the hard work put into this legislation by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees including their recognition of the need for continued efforts to streamline the certification process and improve the consistency of regulatory interpretation.  We look forward to our continued work with the Committees on these important issues.”

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NATA, the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies. For more information about NATA, please visit www.nata.aero, www.twitter.com/nataaero or www.facebook.com/nataaero.