In order to protect mission-critical technology and programs, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is calling on Congress to pass full-year legislation and avoid a long-term continuing resolution.
The group said it has continually warned against continuing resolutions and urged Congress to avoid succumbing to the practice of using continuing resolutions to fund the federal government for a full years instead of passing a comprehensive budget.
“With the next funding deadline rapidly approaching, the Aerospace Industries Association reiterates our strong support for full-year appropriations for each of the 12 government funding bills – fully funding the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and other critical federal functions on which the American aerospace and defense industry relies,” (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning said. “These bipartisan priorities need and deserve funding that reflects the most current landscape, and we urge Congress to come together wherever agreement can be made.”
Fanning said global threats and progress being made in space and aviation technology requires up-to-date funding and that the aviation industry relies on clear demand signals set by current funding levels to plan and prioritized production lines, hiring and other investments.
However, if a continuing resolution is the only solution Congress can come to, he said, Congress must consider what changes need to be made to the Defense, Transportation, and NASA budgets to protect critical national security efforts, aviation modernization, and space advancement.
“Full-year funding will allow critical regulatory development to continue – taking our aviation and space systems into the next generation and protecting American dominance in aerospace,” he said. “Protecting our homeland and our skies must remain a top priority, and without a complete budget, we risk falling woefully behind our adversaries.”