Insiders Say Another CR Is The Most Likely Outcome

Washington insiders are saying that it's very likely that the U.S. Congress will not be able to come up with a compromise on long-term funding for the FAA, and that a 23rd continuing resolution (CR) will be passed to keep the agency open beyond January 31st.

The sticking point is still the labor provisions included in the House version of the bill, which would require that those not voting in union elections be counted as "no" votes, rather than basing the outcome on the number of votes cast. The National Mediation Board (NMB) changed its rules earlier this year to not count those not voting, and House Republicans included an amendment in its version of the bill to change the rules back.

Fox News reports that the continuing stalemate over the union provision will likely keep legislators from arriving at a compromise solution. Sources on Capitol Hill report that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) are personally working on the bill, but the U.S. House only has six legislative days on the schedule for the entire month of January.

FMI: http://reid.senate.gov, www.speaker.gov