by Russ Niles, AVweb
Assuming Presidential approval, The FAA has funding security for nine months after the Senate passed the so-called "Cromnibus" spending bill that approves appropriations for most government departments through September 2015. The vote on the $1.3 trillion spending bill was held late Saturday and rejects an administration user fee proposal and gives the FAA approximately $440 million more than the administration proposed. The FAA gets $15.72 billion and includes money for NextGen implementation.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) stayed up late Saturday night to follow the legislative process and President Tom Hendricks said the relative stability is welcome. "Taking such action funds important priorities such as NextGen and removes the budgetary uncertainty the agency faces when operating under short-term funding bills," said Hendricks.
