NAATS HEADQUARTERS EMAIL UPDATE

Volume 3, #68

March 14, 2003

S. 338 now has nine Democratic co-sponsors, including Senator Daschle. If you have a Republican Senator, now is the time to lobby them to sign on.

Congressman Oberstar is expected to offer his legislation the first part of next week. The delay has been caused by the coordination of the bill language with the interested parties. NATCA, PASS and NAATS are all working together on this.

My meeting with Don Young has been postponed until March 26. Obviously he�s a key player on the whole privatization/ contracting out issue. Our other congressional meetings continued this week, including Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica. He advised that he would ensure that no one gets "railroaded" by the A76 process and that he might hold hearings for this purpose. I informed him that the FAA is not required and has no intention of seeking congressional approval and Chairman Mica responded that once the study is completed he would take action. He does not want to move prior to that time.

I�m set to testify on FAA Reauthorization March 27 before the House Aviation Subcommittee. Administrator Blakey is also scheduled that day but on a different panel. This is separate from the �04 DOT appropriations bill and testimony that we�re working.

Nothing new this week from the FAA regarding the pay dispute. There is bill language being circulated on the Hill that would insert the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) as the final arbiter for these impasses. I�ve seen some of the proposed language and informed Congress that we would be in favor of the concept. I understand that the FAA may also favor this in some form. This has not been introduced as legislation yet and I don�t know how likely this is to ever become law. I�ll keep all advised.
 

Wally Pike