April 25th, 2013
09:10 PM ET
10 years ago
Senate approves plan to end FAA furloughs
Washington (CNN) - The U.S. Senate approved a measure on Thursday aimed at ending budget-related air traffic controller furloughs that have been blamed for widespread flight delays this week.
A bipartisan agreement giving the Transportation Department budget new flexibility on spending cleared the chamber unanimously.
The House was expected to take up the proposal on Friday.
Furloughs impacting some 15,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers began this week in response to forced, government-wide spending cuts that took effect in March.
CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report
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Flights get delayed and suddenly people realize why we need government. But this is a bandaid. We need to address the actual problem and stop the austerity.
I think that if Congress was really thinking about doing these before hand or the consequences of the sequestor, then this could have been avoided in the first place.
Baucus will not run for a 7th term because his plow would be cleaned!
It's extremely difficult for the senate to do much of anything, when they have to drag along a dead body like the republican led house.
The only reason they voted to end the FAA furloughs (or will vote) is because it affects them!!!
God forbid that they can't leave on Thursday pm for their long weekends while the rest of the government workers that have to be furloughed and lose pay are still at work.
Not that when they are at work in congress they do anything productive. If this sequester was affecting their pay (no work days don't count for these group of fools) they would have already come to an agreement.
Once again leave it to the Daily Show to tells us that in Australia their politicians do what is good for the country NOT their political career. This starts with collecting all guns after their 13th mass shooting back in 1996. The crime rate, suicides and homicides have decreased.
It's amazing how fast congress can act when they are "inconvenienced." Now – how about all those other jobs to be cut through sequester?
Oh!!! So now that you see the real adverse effects of the sequester. I thought we had to cut spending.
One of the senators must have had to wait 1/2 hour for a flight LOL
Our elected official don’t want to wait 30 mins in the Airport
Even the blind can see through this how selfish these people are. They always think about themselves, their stomach and their pockets. Quickly they have solved the problem which they think is needling them directly. What about other people who are suffering for example: the gun laws which are loose, want to be recognise of being in country, want to exercise their right to vote and are denied to do so etc. etc. Folks, on the coming election, sit down and think first, what that senator, congressman/woman has done to you, to deserve your vote for one more time.
The Transportation Department didn't need "new flexibility on spending"—it was within the department's authority all along to declare air-traffic controllers "essential" and exempt them from the sequester. This whole thing is just an attempt by Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats to lessen the appearance that Obama is a petty, vindictive, jerk.
I applaud all the above comments. It's what I would have tried to say, myself. I especially liked the phrase, 'dragging along the dead body of the Republican led House.' 🙂
@oscar: "Flights get delayed and suddenly people realize why we need government."
No, flights get delayed and suddenly people realise how irresponsible and vindictive government is.
We need to privatise the air traffic control system and take it away from the crybabies in government.
HenryMiller....if this is an attempt by democrats, why did republicans in the senate go along with it?
The problem with you conspiracy theory folks is that for you to be even partially correct, you would have to include some folks from your team. And heaven forbid republicans indict one of their own.
I guess republican hypocrisy only goes so far.
@Henry Miller
.....exempt them from sequester?????
Just imagine if every department could have done so? Would the sequester have a meaning anymore???
Apparently getting 98% of what he wanted is crimping Mr. Boehner's narrative. We've had 8 years of Bush ... another 4 years of Republican obstruction ... and what looks to be 4 more years of Republican obstruction. Grand total: 16 years of Republicans doing everything they can to whine, moan, cry, and stomp their feet ... while consistently making backroom deals with themselves to continue to stall economic growth and prosperity.
John Boehner ran on cutting down on government spending. He got what he wanted. And still isn't happy.
@Lynda/Minnesota I agrree. Their sole purpose is to make sure that President Obama fails come hook or crook.
It was a debacle for republicans rushing on voting for sequester while not thinking for consequences first. Now they are getting affected as well and rush to push it away. Hey guys, face it like any other people are doing at the moment. It is all about having small government of which you are fond of!
HenryMiller
The Transportation Department didn't need "new flexibility on spending"—it was within the department's authority all along to declare air-traffic controllers "essential" and exempt them from the sequester. This whole thing is just an attempt by Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats to lessen the appearance that Obama is a petty, vindictive, jerk.
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Well put, Henry.