This is all bull$hit. It’s because Congress puts this off until the last minute in an effort for those writing the bill to cram in their own pet projects. The federal fiscal year used to be 1 July I believe and was changed to 1 October to “allow more time to get the budget completed without a continuing resolution.” All that happened was the people on the budgeting committee had to procrastinate longer to get their leverage.

What’s needed is to stop paying members of Congress AND THEIR STAFFS until a budget - not a continuing resolution but a no $hit BUDGET - is passed and signed into law. That would stop this Kabuki dance in a heartbeat.



https://budgetcounsel.com/cyclopedia...t%2031%20U.S.C.

 

through what mechanism would you withhold congressional salaries?

 

A prime example of why government shouldn't be running much of anything, especially ATC and airport "security" ... everything the government does is political.

 

The following operations will continue as excepted activities during a lapse in annual appropriations and lapse in authorization:
• Air traffic control services
• Maintenance and operation of navigational aids and other facilities, including support to reimbursable Department of Defense
and Department of Homeland Security activities;
• Flight Standards field inspections;
• Airworthiness Directives
• Airmen medical certifications;
• Certain certification activities;
• Issuance of waivers for UAS and in support of other safety and security operations;
• Approval of exemptions for unmanned aerial systems operations;
• Hazardous materials safety inspections (safety inspectors will be recalled as necessary over time to maintain the safety of the
system and/or respond to incidents);
• Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) medical clearances;
• Air traffic safety oversight (limited);
• On-call accident investigations;
• Commercial space launch oversight, and licensing;
• Command, control, communications, and intelligence (i.e., Regions and HQ Operations Centers, Intelligence Threat Watch,
and emergency communication support);
• Foreign relations on aviation safety-related matters;
• FAA's aircraft and airman registry;
• Congressional liaison services, to the extent that they are necessarily implied from the authorized continuation of legislative
activity;
• Support functions necessary to provide timely payments to contractors and grantees.

https://www.transportation.gov/sites...09-22-2023.pdf

My comment:

This is not to say that employees will not succumb to allergies and other sick, flu like symptoms, consistent with fall weather and seasonal patterns. The shutdown does not shut down the human body's chances of getting sick.

 

It's happened in the past. I don't expect 100% of TSA to work for free for much longer than maybe a week.

I will buy them a coffee though, I feel bad.

 

Last time it ended when like 10 ATC'ers in JAX and NYC called out sick after a couple weeks of working with no pay checks. The next day we had a budget.

 

Only when I’m not “randomed”…

 

Government shutdown will delay me wearing a blue shirt

https://www.flightglobal.com/strateg...155069.article

 

ATC staffing in the northeast reached a point where airlines could not handle the delays, crews timed out while out of position, and big meltdowns ensued.

Kind of like SWA's software... it's all fine until it isn't, then chain reaction.

Because GS unions are one of the key, if not THE key, political constituency of one of the parties. Those folks are rooting for a lengthy shutdown... paid vacay, enjoy some fall scenery with no summer crowds, all courtesy of Uncle.


They should get interest on their backpay.

 

I was ATC for 12 years. Recently quit to come back to flying.

-ATC overtime is mandatory, 6 day work weeks and many facilities are actively doing this.
-Non-essentials (QA, QC, 2nd level managers, etc) don't come in during the shutdowns but still get back pay and accrued leave
-Essentials don't get anything extra for being essential however any leave they take during shut down doesn't charge their balance (free leave)
-For a lot of controllers this is the 4th shutdown they've worked through. Each one comes with idle threats from management and win one for the Gipper speeches from the union.

I wouldn't bank on the NAS running as smoothly as it has in the past. Staffing is thin, like really thin...and fool me thrice shame on you.