Capitol Confidential
Big Government
8/3/2011
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has basically been shut down thanks to the Senate Democrats addition to pork. 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed until further notice. 70,000 construction workers must now sit on their hands as all airport construction has halted. And the federal government is loosing $200million a week in airline ticket taxes because they are not authorized to legally collect the tax.
What has led to this massive shut down? Senate Democrats refusal to curb a wasteful government subsidy of $200 million known as the Essential Air Service (EAS) program.
As of last Friday, the FAA has lost its authorization to spend money and levy fees because Congress couldn’t come to an agreement on a transportation bill. House Republicans are currently purposing a temporary transportation bill to last through September allowing time for the two parties to come together on a larger agreement. Included in the bill is a provision that would curb the EAS program…
The article continues at Big Government.
Update: FAA shutdown fix expected this week, Obama says.
Update 2: Schumer: ‘A Gun Held’ To Our Heads by GOP Over FAA Funding
