House committee approves bill to fund FAA, ATC during shutdowns

The fund, which was originally established to cover war risk insurance claims by airlines participating in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program, has $2.6 billion and continues to grow due to interest accumulation. If those funds could not cover all FAA operations, the bill would require the agency to prioritize air traffic control operations and controller pay.

The bill, which was introduced by Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), who lead the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, along with Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and André Carson (D-Ind.), who lead the Subcommittee on Aviation, is the latest attempt to shield the FAA from being affected by future government shutdowns.

The bill, first introduced in November, drew support from across the aviation industry. AOPA President Darren Pleasance sent a letter to committee leaders in support of the bill earlier this week.

“Air traffic control is a critical public safety function that must operate continuously and reliably, regardless of unrelated political disputes. As we have seen, past government shutdowns have demonstrated that even temporary funding lapses create unnecessary risk, operational uncertainty, and strain on the highly skilled workforce responsible for maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System,” wrote Pleasance.

The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.

AOPA has also endorsed a similar bill from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) that would fund FAA operations during shutdowns but would instead draw funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.