With a Government Shutdown Just Hours Away, IFPTE Urges Senate Pass Short-Term Funding
On Saturday, less than 12 hours before the government funding deadline, IFPTE sent a letter to the U.S. Senate requesting they vote to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open through November 17.
The CR would still need to pass in the House of Representatives, where House Republicans are divided on averting a government shutdown, but the Senate’s short-term funding bill has received bipartisan support from Senate leadership and Senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee. It offers a possible path to ending a government shutdown, which appears likely, as soon as possible.
The CR that the Senate is considering includes an extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) authorization, which is also set to expire on October 1. A lapse in the FAA’s authorization means that an estimated $54 million in federal fees will not be collected by the federal government and instead be kept by airlines as additional profit.
IFPTE’s letter reminds Senators that a shutdown will have far-reaching pacts not just for federal employees and their households, but for the industry as well. The letter notes that “exports and trade will suffer, and farmers, fisheries, and businesses may lose access to government data that is critical to their operations.”
In the days ahead, IFPTE will continue to update members impacted by the shutdown and share those impacts with Members of Congress as we press for reopening the government and restoring government funding as soon as possible.