,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #agff  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bf1 #bjac    
,ms4 ,waters introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,budget  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,balanced ,budget and     
,emergency ,deficit ,control ,act of    
#aihe to eliminate the application of   
the sequestration to funds associated   
with the operation of air traffic       
control towers1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,safe and ,reliable ,air ,travel
 ,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 finds the following3  7#a7             
,sequestration is having a devastating  
effect on the ,nation's air traffic     
control system4  7#b7 ,sequestration    
imposes a reduction in funding of #fcg  
million on the ,federal ,aviation       
,administration 7,,faa7 for the         
remainder of fiscal year #bjac4  7#c7   
,the ,,faa plans to furlough the vast   
majority of the ,,faa's nearly #dg1jjj  

employees1 including nearly #ae1jjj air 
traffic controllers1 for approximately  
one day during each two-week pay period 
in order to comply with sequestration4  
7#d7 ,the furloughs began on ,sunday1   
,april #ba1 #bjac1 and are scheduled to 
continue through the end of the fiscal  
year on ,september #cj1 #bjac4          
,approximately #aj percent of the       
,,faa's air traffic controllers are     
expected to be on furlough on any given 
day during this period4  7#e7 ,the      
furloughs are causing hundreds of       
flights to be delayed1 resulting in     
scheduling difficulties for airlines and
 inconveniences for passengers4  7#f7   
,the ,,faa reported that approximately  
#djj flights were delayed nationwide on 
,april #ba1 #bjac1 as a result of the   
furloughs4  7#g7 ,the ,,faa reported    
that more than #a1bjj flights were      
delayed nationwide on ,april #bb1 #bjac1
 as a result of the furloughs4  7#h7    
,more delays are expected in the coming 
months during the peak summer travel    

season4  7#i7 ,the effects of multiple  
flight delays at airports across the    
,nation can be compounded as delays at  
one airport cause planes to arrive late 
at other airports and also cause        
passengers to miss connecting flights4  
7#aj7 ,air carriers operating in ,united
 ,states air space transport more than  
#gjj million passengers every year4     
7#aa7 ,civil aviation accounts for #aj  
million jobs1 is responsible for more   
than #e percent of the ,united ,states  
gross domestic product1 and contributes 
#a4c trillion to the economy every year4
  7#ab7 ,businesses of all sizes depend 
upon a reliable commercial air          
transportation system4 ,business        
travelers account for millions of trips 
each month4  7#ac7 ,flight delays for   
business travelers interfere with       
business plans and result in business   
meetings being delayed1 cancelled1 or   
missed4  7#ad7 ,flight delays affecting 
the transportation of air cargo also    
interfere with business4  7#ae7 ,the    

,nation's economy depends upon a        
reliable commercial air transportation  
system4  7#af7 ,the ,,faa also plans to 
close #adi air traffic control towers at
 small airports across the ,nation on   
,june #ae1 #bjac1 in order to comply    
with sequestration4 ,despite their size1
 these airports are an important part of
 the ,nation's air transportation system
 and economy4  7#ag7 ,air traffic       
control is a critical government        
function that is necessary to ensure the
 safety of air travel and the flying    
public4  7#ah7 ,inadequate staffing of  
airport control towers poses a serious  
threat to public safety4  7#ai7 ,without
 the service of experienced air traffic 
controllers in all of the ,nation's     
,federal air traffic control towers1    
there is an increased risk of accidents 
involving planes during departure1      
flight1 and landing4 ,such accidents    
could result in a tragic loss of life4  
7#bj7 ,the sequestration of funds       
associated with the operation of air    

traffic control towers by the ,,faa     
interferes with the safety1 reliability1
 and efficiency of the ,nation's air    
transportation system4  7#ba7 ,the      
operation of air traffic control towers 
by the ,,faa1 including the compensation
 paid to air traffic control personnel  
employed by the ,,faa1 should be        
exempted from sequestration4  #c4       
,exemption from sequestration for       
operation of air traffic control towers 
7a7 ,in general ,section #bee of the    
,balanced ,budget and ,emergency        
,deficit ,control ,act of #aihe 7#b     
,u4,s4,c4 #ije7 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection3   
7k7 ,operation of air traffic control   
towers ,the following funds shall be    
exempt from reduction under any order   
issued under this part3  7#a7 ,funds    
made available for the operation of air 
traffic control towers by the ,federal  
,aviation ,administration1 including    
compensation paid to air traffic control
 personnel employed by the ,federal     

,aviation ,administration4  7#b7 ,funds 
made available for the operation of     
contract air traffic control towers     
under section #dgabd of title #di1      
,united ,states ,code4  4  7b7          
,effective date ,the amendment made by  
section #a shall apply to the           
,presidential sequestration order for   
fiscal year #bjac issued under section  
#bea;,a of the ,balanced ,budget and    
,emergency ,deficit ,control ,act of    
#aihe 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ija;a7 and any     
subsequent sequestration order issued   
under that ,act4