The Republican shutdown for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is over—for now—and the 4,000 furloughed FAA workers will return to work Monday and 70,000 construction workers should be back on the job soon now that airport improvement funds will flow again.
The Senate—even though it was adjourned—approved a House-passed bill that extends FAA funding until Sept. 16. That was possible because it was in what is known as pro forma session. Here’s how The Associated Press described it:
Employing the so-called “unanimous consent” procedure which took less than 30 seconds, two senators were present to approve a House-passed bill extending FAA’s operating authority through mid-September.
Democratic Sen. James Webb of Virginia stood up, called up the bill and asked that it be passed. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the presiding officer, agreed and it was done.
The House-passed temporary extension of FAA funding authority eliminated some rural air service subsidies that senators objected to, but news report indicate that the Obama administration will be able to waive or otherwise negate those cuts.
But the real reason behind the Republican shutdown remains. House Republicans want to overturn democratic union election rules for aviation and rail workers. House Transportation Committee Chairman Rep. John Mica (Fla.) admitted the rural air subsidy “poison pill” in the temporary extension was a ploy to pressure to pressure senators to go along with overturning the fair election rules adopted last year by the National Mediation Board (NMB).
Those rules say air and rail elections should be decided by a majority of votes cast. Previously under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which covers rail and airline workers, each worker who did not cast a vote in a representation election was automatically counted as a “No” vote.
BTW, if Mica ran for Congress under the election rules he wants for rail and aviation workers, he wouldn’t be a member of Congress.
The long-term FAA reauthorization bill in the House would overturn the fair election rules. The Senate version does not. House leaders say they will continue their fight to deny workers the right to a fair election. So Sept. 16, we might be facing another shutdown.
