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Lobbyit.com Monthly Update - April 2013
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May 06, 2013 - Posted by: Lobbyit.com
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| Dear Members:
During the month of April, Lobbyit.com received updates from the House Aviation Subcommittee as well as meet with AAAE to discuss possibilities regarding SIDA Badges.
Legislation
Legislation currently tracked by Lobbyit:
H.R.1765 - Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013
H.R. 1765 was introduced on April 26, 2013 and was signed by the President on May 1. The Reducing Flight Delays Act prevented the crippling effects of furloughing air traffic controllers, which would have been made necessary due to sequestration cuts. The bill accomplishes this by allowing the Secretary of Transportation to transfer $253 million from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program account to the FAA's Operations account, thus preventing diminished operations and staffing at the FAA for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. The bill requires the Secretary to notify the House and Senate appropriations Committee prior to the transfer.
Stakeholder Meetings
The following stakeholder meetings were taken by Lobbyit.com on behalf of AMFA:
- Lobbyit met with the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss SIDA badge reform and possible legislative avenues. The Committee was interested to hear AMFA's story and concerns, and proposed that AMFA reach out to a crucial party within the industry; the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The staffer suggested talking to AAAE to gauge their interest and willingness to participate before exploring future legislative options.
- Lobbyit met with representatives from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) regarding SIDA badges and opportunities to explore opportunities to incorporate a recognized multi-airport badge. The meeting yielded positive takeaways and both parties are currently exploring options regarding a small-scale pilot program to examine the feasibility of such a badge.
- Lobbyit revisited with the House Aviation Subcommittee to discuss pertinent AMFA issues and to hear the latest regarding Committee activity. Lately, the committee has focused its attention on sequestration and its impact on the FAA, in particular, air traffic controllers. The FAA's implementation of these cuts required thousands of air traffic controllers to go on furlough, which resulted in significant delays across the country's busiest airports. Recently, Congress passed HR 1765 in an attempt to correct airline delays.
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