WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) today again called on the administration to provide any details about its plans to meet the spending reductions for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the sequester.

On Friday, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the Department would have to implement furloughs of the vast majority of its 47,000 FAA employees and predicted significant delays in the U.S. aviation system. However, to date, the administration has not released any data to support this dramatic conclusion, despite repeated requests from Congress.

Shuster and Thune sent the attached letter to the Secretary yesterday. The text of the letter follows:

Dear Secretary LaHood:

Since August of 2012, Congress has attempted to gather information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding spend plans under the current continuing resolution and in preparation for the possibility of a budget sequestration that may take effect on March 1 of this year. To date, those requests for information have gone unanswered. Given the Administration and the Department’s recent statements on a possible sequestration’s effects on the traveling public, it is imperative that the information we have continuously sought be provided as soon as possible. 

Therefore, we are formally requesting that Department of Transportation and FAA provide to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate the following information:

• 
  The FAA’s spend plan for operating under the current continuing resolution. This plan should have been produced by the agency in October of 2012; 
• 
  The FAA’s spend plan for the Operations account by object class by month at the continuing resolution level for the full fiscal year; and
• 
  The FAA’s spend plan for the Operations account by object class by month at the sequester level for the full fiscal year.

We ask that you provide the requested documents and information immediately.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster

Chairman

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

John Thune

Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

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