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FAA Excepted from Sequestration Cuts
30 April 2013 -- With their legislation to exempt FAA from cuts mandated by sequestration, lawmakers have made it clear that they're not feeling the pain felt by the majority of Americans. Even though the majority of sequester-driven cuts fall on programs that serve families, children, workers, and low-income Americans, Congress has instead focused on special interest exceptions like meat inspectors, air-traffic controllers, and, possibly, the Pentagon.
The FAA exception mitigates sequester cuts by taking money from infrastructure-related accounts and applying it to personnel. In doing so, Congress defers the essential work of resolving sequestration's short-term blow to American jobs and services - as well as its long-term impact our nation's sagging infrastructure.
This comes as just the most recent in a series of decisions over the past six month which demonstrate an unwillingness on the part of Congress to find sensible, fiscally-sound solutions for the nation. Exempting programs piecemeal does nothing to resolve the larger problem of an accountable, responsible federal budget.
"Congress must cast off its confounding allegiance to zero-sum budgeting where one person's win is another person's loss," said Jo Comerford, Executive Director of National Priorities Project. "With all their constituents in mind, not just a powerful few, lawmakers must forge comprehensive legislation that tackles the way our nation makes our revenue and the way we set federal spending priorities."
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National Priorities Project (NPP) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that makes our complex federal budget transparent and accessible so people can exercise their right and responsibility to influence how their tax dollars are spent. NPP believes the U.S. federal budget will reflect the values and priorities of a majority of Americans when all people have the opportunity and ability to participate in shaping our nation's budget.
