Things Returning to Normal at Airports as Furloughs Are Suspended
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Comstock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A week-long national nightmare for air travelers is over — at least, for now.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced over the weekend that it had suspended employee furloughs as normal staffing levels at the nation’s airports were restored by Sunday evening.
This action eased more than a week of major delays, due mostly to furloughing air traffic controllers, the result of cuts to federal programs stemming from $85 billion in across-the-board spending reductions known as the sequester.
Last Friday, Congress passed legislation which provides the FAA with transfer authority for $253 million until Oct. 1 to restore the staffing levels at the nation’s airports.
A White House official told ABC News that President Obama was set to sign the legislation over the weekend but must now wait until Tuesday so that a spelling error in the measure can be corrected.
There are some who aren’t happy with the bill for reasons bigger than a typo. Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen doesn’t like that the legislation seems to claim that airline travelers deserve special treatment compared to others affected by the sequester.
“Sometimes the problems of the most politically strong and well-connected groups get addressed but the folks that get left behind are the kids on Head Start programs, their seniors on Meals on Wheels,” Van Hollen said.
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