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| Obama slams Congress over 'Band-Aid' fix on aviation sequester cuts | Obama slams Congress over 'Band-Aid' fix on aviation sequester cuts |
| (12 days later) | |
| President Barack Obama has admonished Congress over its "Band-Aid" fix for sequester-induced air-traffic delays, stating on Saturday that such short-term solutions were an irresponsible way to govern. | President Barack Obama has admonished Congress over its "Band-Aid" fix for sequester-induced air-traffic delays, stating on Saturday that such short-term solutions were an irresponsible way to govern. |
| On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a draft bill to ease travel disruption caused by the budget cuts. It followed a late-night vote in favour by the Senate the day before. Obama is expected to sign the proposed legislation into law. But in his weekly address on Saturday, he chastised Republicans in Congress for approving relief for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while ignoring other areas hit by sequestration. | On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a draft bill to ease travel disruption caused by the budget cuts. It followed a late-night vote in favour by the Senate the day before. Obama is expected to sign the proposed legislation into law. But in his weekly address on Saturday, he chastised Republicans in Congress for approving relief for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while ignoring other areas hit by sequestration. |
| Obama said: "Because of these reckless cuts, there are parents whose kids just got kicked out of Head Start programmes scrambling for a solution. There are seniors who depend on programmes like Meals on Wheels to live independently looking for help. There are military communities – families that have already suffered enough – coping under new strains. All because of these cuts." | Obama said: "Because of these reckless cuts, there are parents whose kids just got kicked out of Head Start programmes scrambling for a solution. There are seniors who depend on programmes like Meals on Wheels to live independently looking for help. There are military communities – families that have already suffered enough – coping under new strains. All because of these cuts." |
| Turning to the air-traffic delays, Obama mocked lawmakers in Washington, suggesting that it was only because "they fly home each weekend" that many members of Congress "who insisted these cuts take hold, finally realised that they actually apply to them too". | Turning to the air-traffic delays, Obama mocked lawmakers in Washington, suggesting that it was only because "they fly home each weekend" that many members of Congress "who insisted these cuts take hold, finally realised that they actually apply to them too". |
| Before Friday's bill, hundreds of flights were being cancelled daily and thousands delayed because of forced furloughs for air traffic controllers. The draft legislation approved by the House does not increase the FAA's share of the budget, but it does allow it flexibility in how to spend it. It allows the agency to shift $253m from other parts of its budget to make up staff pay. | Before Friday's bill, hundreds of flights were being cancelled daily and thousands delayed because of forced furloughs for air traffic controllers. The draft legislation approved by the House does not increase the FAA's share of the budget, but it does allow it flexibility in how to spend it. It allows the agency to shift $253m from other parts of its budget to make up staff pay. |
| The FAA said Saturday that in light of the latest development it had suspended furloughs. It expects US air travel to be back to normal by Sunday evening. | The FAA said Saturday that in light of the latest development it had suspended furloughs. It expects US air travel to be back to normal by Sunday evening. |
| The deal in Congress followed a cave-in by Democrats in Congress, who had opposed exemptions to the sequester cuts, stating that if there were to be any, they should be for vulnerable social groups. The deal could open the way for other interest groups, such as the national parks department or the Pentagon, to also seek special treatment. The concession to the air industry is only the second made by Congress since an estimated $87bn in sequester budget cuts kicked in, on 1 March. The other was to fund food inspectors, amid fears of a health scare. | The deal in Congress followed a cave-in by Democrats in Congress, who had opposed exemptions to the sequester cuts, stating that if there were to be any, they should be for vulnerable social groups. The deal could open the way for other interest groups, such as the national parks department or the Pentagon, to also seek special treatment. The concession to the air industry is only the second made by Congress since an estimated $87bn in sequester budget cuts kicked in, on 1 March. The other was to fund food inspectors, amid fears of a health scare. |
| In a statement released on Friday, the Republican House speaker, John Boehner, sought to lay the blame for the air-traffic woes at the door of the White House. "The disruption to America's air traffic system over the past week was a consequence of the administration's choice to implement the president's sequestration cuts in the most painful manner possible. It's unacceptable that the FAA chose not to plan for sequestration or utilise the flexibility it already has," he said. "Americans were rightly fed up, and it's unfortunate that the House and Senate were forced to step in and fix the problem when the president chose not to act." | In a statement released on Friday, the Republican House speaker, John Boehner, sought to lay the blame for the air-traffic woes at the door of the White House. "The disruption to America's air traffic system over the past week was a consequence of the administration's choice to implement the president's sequestration cuts in the most painful manner possible. It's unacceptable that the FAA chose not to plan for sequestration or utilise the flexibility it already has," he said. "Americans were rightly fed up, and it's unfortunate that the House and Senate were forced to step in and fix the problem when the president chose not to act." |
| White House spokesman Jay Carney has said that Obama will sign the bill. But in comments on Saturday, Obama chided Republicans over the aviation exemption, which passed both houses in Congress with Democrat support. | White House spokesman Jay Carney has said that Obama will sign the bill. But in comments on Saturday, Obama chided Republicans over the aviation exemption, which passed both houses in Congress with Democrat support. |
| "So Congress passed a temporary fix," he said. "A Band-Aid. But these cuts are scheduled to keep falling across other parts of the government that provide vital services for the American people. And we can't just keep putting Band-Aids on every cut, it's not a responsible way to govern. | "So Congress passed a temporary fix," he said. "A Band-Aid. But these cuts are scheduled to keep falling across other parts of the government that provide vital services for the American people. And we can't just keep putting Band-Aids on every cut, it's not a responsible way to govern. |
| "There is only one way to truly fix the sequester: by replacing it before it causes further damage." | "There is only one way to truly fix the sequester: by replacing it before it causes further damage." |
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