Sequestration

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FROM: Ray LaHood

I know that all of you have been following with interest and concern the news about the across-the-board Federal spending cuts (also known as “sequestration”) set to occur this Friday, March 1.

If a sequestration order is issued, the U.S. Department of Transportation will be cut by about $1 billion for its core programs, and another $600 million in funding provided for Hurricane Sandy relief. Not only will this affect DOT employees, contractors, and dozens of our programs, it will seriously impact transportation services that are critical to the traveling public.

Safety will always be our top priority, but if sequestration occurs, some of our modes will need to make cuts to restrict staffing and prioritize safety activities. Most acutely, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cannot avoid the reductions that will create transportation delays for the traveling public.

Some of our transportation programs, such as our airport grant program, trust-funded highway programs, motor carrier safety programs, and vehicle safety programs, are exempt from sequestration and will not be affected. Additionally, some of our modes will not have their administrative budgets impacted by sequestration; others will be able to sustain sequestration funding reductions by instituting hiring freezes, cutting contracts, and taking other administrative reductions. But even after implementing such measures, we expect that furloughs will be necessary in the FAA and may be required in the Federal Transit Administration and the Surface Transportation Board.

I want to assure you that we are doing all we can to minimize the disruption sequestration would have on our transportation programs while still protecting our core operations and mission. We are using all the tools at our disposal including closely examining contracts, grants, and other forms of expenditures across the Department. We are reducing operational and administrative areas wherever possible, including cuts to travel, training, facilities, and supplies. These actions help, but in some cases, cannot close the gap due to the rigid nature of the cuts imposed by Congress.

Again, at FAA, where furloughs are unavoidable, based on the latest information, sequestration will require approximately $600 million in cuts. This means that we expect that a vast majority of FAA’s nearly 47,000 employees will be furloughed for approximately 1 day per pay period, beginning in April and continuing until the end of the fiscal year in September. The furlough would not exceed 2 days per pay period.

The furlough of a large number of air traffic controllers and technicians also will require a reduction in the amount of air traffic, so planes can be safely managed by the remaining staff. This means a less efficient and less convenient air travel service for the American traveling public, as well as negative effects on our economy.

Right now, our focus is identifying ways to mitigate the funding shortfall for the remainder of this fiscal year. But these consequences will stretch far beyond the next few months. Should sequestration occur, we also will need to make difficult choices about which services to continue, which services to drastically reduce, and which services to completely eliminate over the coming years.

We realize that this is a difficult time for everyone. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to limit the negative impact on DOT employees. Should furloughs be required, all affected employees would be provided with at least 30 days’ notice, or notice as required by collective bargaining agreements. We will also continue to engage in discussions with employee unions as appropriate, to ensure that any furloughs are applied in a fair and appropriate manner.

If you have questions, I encourage you to go to the Office of Personnel Management website (www.opm.gov/furlough) which has helpful information and answers to frequently asked questions under the “administrative furlough” section.

Your modal administrator or OST director also will be following up with more information about how sequestration may affect the day-to-day operations of your mode or office.

Thank you for your patience as we work through these challenging issues, and for your continued service to the Department and the Nation.

This entire issue is a crock. In 2008 the FAA budget was $10.7 billion. This year it is $17.9 billion. It's increased by 67% in less than 5 years!
According to Ray La Hood's letter the sequestration would force DOT to cut $1 billion from its $74.2 billion budgeted for 2013. That's 1.4%. Even if the cuts go into effect the DOT will still end up spending $600 million MORE this year than last year!
All this fear mongering is supposed to scare everyone into thinking that the world will end if the government spends a penny or two less on the dollar.
What will happen is that Obama and this regime will try and make the cuts as punitive to the American people as possible mark my word.

And as for Obama, you forgot to mention in your last sentence that he will then blame the Republicans for the entire mess despite being the President for two full terms and having a fully democrat congress for at least two of the years.

Anything less than 24/7 is considered part-time.

The midnight shift at my tower is 10pm to 6am. That doesnt mean that entire shift would be gone. My best guess is by looking at the airline schedules that midnight to 6am would be the likely end result. Bottom line is they will get their money and its temporary for ATC.

Now for us....I have been told that a manager of a major HUB airport reported to his CWO that major HUB airports will not lose CWO services. The rest of the CWO program is going to be flushed down the toilet. At least that was prevailing wisdom on the TELCON they had about 2 weeks ago. I believe with all my heart this info is accurate. Since I am not at a HUB I have been under the assumption we are dead. I hope we get the 3 months for the tower to get LAWRS certified once they make it official. Apparently NATCA has no official position on controllers at the non major hubs taking over weather responsibilities. That was disappointing. I cannot confirm any of the above personally, however my sources have been good in the past. I spoke with the NATCA rep at my facility and he has heard rumors about the demise of CWO but is not aware of anything official. He was very nice about it and said he really hopes they keep us as its pretty well unanimous that the ATC folks want nothing to do with the weather. As for which airports survice the purge, my GUESS is you better be at least on that OES list that was posted here by TCU.

How does your source know more about what the FAA plans are concerning the CWO program than PATCO or ISG, Weather ? Is the FAA been keeping their contract partners in the dark for the past two weeks ? ISG does not know anything about the big35? Neither does Jerry Tuso of PATCO. Just wondering ?