Many rural airports will lose their air-traffic controllers under the "sequester" budget cuts. An effort by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, to prevent the move as part of the continuing resolution to keep the government operating appears to have backfired.
Moran (Associated Press photo) spent Monday "pretty much objecting to everything unless he was promised a vote on
his amendment to protect funding for air traffic controllers at rural
airports in states like his own," David Rogers reported for Politico. In his latest story, Rogers reports that Moran, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted against bringing the bill to a vote, "even whipping up Republican opposition," and was "left out in the cold" by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "His tactics plainly irritated Reid and the rural air-traffic controller
cuts will now go ahead unless the Federal Aviation Administration alters
its order," which would take effect April 7 at 173 small airports with little scheduled air service.
"Reid has the bipartisan backing of members on the Senate Appropriations Committee," Rogers reports. "And he was careful to give the powerful meat lobby a crack at its top amendment: language that would shift funds to the Food Safety Inspection Service to try to avoid major furloughs in the wake of sequestration. Indeed, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a chief sponsor of the meatpackers’ proposal and member of the Appropriations panel, had been careful to vote with Reid on cloture Monday night — even before agreement was reached on the meat amendment." (Read more)
The Senate approved by voice vote an amendment moving $55 million from building maintenance and school equipment grants in the Department of Agriculture to avoid inspector furloughs and temporary plant closures. The bill is expected to pass the House and be signed by President Obama.
"Reid has the bipartisan backing of members on the Senate Appropriations Committee," Rogers reports. "And he was careful to give the powerful meat lobby a crack at its top amendment: language that would shift funds to the Food Safety Inspection Service to try to avoid major furloughs in the wake of sequestration. Indeed, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a chief sponsor of the meatpackers’ proposal and member of the Appropriations panel, had been careful to vote with Reid on cloture Monday night — even before agreement was reached on the meat amendment." (Read more)
The Senate approved by voice vote an amendment moving $55 million from building maintenance and school equipment grants in the Department of Agriculture to avoid inspector furloughs and temporary plant closures. The bill is expected to pass the House and be signed by President Obama.
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