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Donations still being sought for FAA furlough relief fund
The FAA Managers Association called Wednesday for more donations to a relief fund it set up during the nearly two-week shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, saying Congress won't be able to pass a bill providing back pay for the furloughed agency workers until September at the earliest.
On Aug. 3, the FAAMA announced it was creating a relief fund for FAA workers who were out of work when Congress was at an impasse over a funding bill.
Lawmakers reached a deal last week on a bill that provides money for the FAA through Sept. 16, and they have said they would pay back the workers for the time they missed.
“Many people falsely assumed that the need for donations ended when the furloughed FAA employees returned to work earlier this week," FAAMA President David Conley said in a statement Wednesday. "The truth is — these folks still need your help right now. I encourage all federal employees to make an online donation today.”
The shutdown of the FAA was estimated to have cost the federal government $30 million in lost tax revenue on airline ticket purchases.
About 4,000 workers were furloughed during the impasse.
Though the bill to end the partial shutdown of the FAA only covers the agency's funding through the middle of September, lawmakers have been celebrating the employees return to work.
"Today @ Palm Springs Int'l Airport I was glad to see workers starting to come back on the job after #FAA shutdown," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, posted Wednesday on her Twitter page.
This post was corrected Aug. 11 at 12:38 p.m.
