Fox Business - Daniella Genovese
FAA says the proposed budget cuts 'would be impactful to the flying public'
Acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration Billy Nolen pleaded to Congress Wednesday that budget cuts proposed by some House Republicans would "jeopardize our work to usher in the next era of aviation."
The House narrowly passed sweeping legislation Wednesday that would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion for steep spending restrictions that would impact funding for government agencies.
It’s an about-face from last year when many agencies like the FAA saw budget increases.
Nolen said Biden's proposed budget request of $19.8 billion for the next fiscal year, in addition to the $5 billion the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides to reduce the backlog of airport and air traffic projects, "is critical to maintaining the agency's safety record.
"When we think about the kind of cuts that might be either anticipated or put forth, we are talking about having to furlough all FAA employees for up to 22 days," Nolen said at the hearing. "We are talking about the potential reduction in force of up to 10%, which is in excess of 4,000 FAA employees. It means immediate cuts in all of these critical systems."
