The House Transportation Committee on Thursday will mark up a bipartisan bill seeking to exempt air traffic controllers from future government shutdowns.
The legislation, H.R. 6086, introduced by leaders of the panel following the recent 43-day lapse in appropriations, would make sure the Federal Aviation Administration can access money to pay these essential workers during shutdowns.
It would allow the FAA to tap the Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund, which is designed to cover insurance claims lodged by airlines activated under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, a voluntary program to boost the military’s airlift capacity with civilian planes during a crisis.
The agency wouldn’t be able to totally exhaust the fund; its balance couldn’t drop below $1 billion.
