Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) Introduces “Furloughed FAA Employees Compensation Act” In The U.S. House

U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) (pictured) on Tuesday introduced the “Furloughed FAA Employees Compensation Act”, which would grant the U.S. Secretary of Transportation the authority to pay the salaries and related benefits of those federal employees who were furloughed during the partial shutdown of the FAA. The shutdown began at midnight on July 22, 2011 and ended on August 5, 2011. It affected approximately 4,000 federal FAA employees nationwide.

“For the past two weeks it was important to get these workers back on the job. Now my focus is to get them back pay and to ensure this avoidable situation never happens again,” said LoBiondo, the only New Jersey representative on the House Aviation Subcommittee.

From the start of the partial shutdown, LoBiondo sought to broker a compromise between the House and Senate, reaching out to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of each Chamber’s transportation committees. Additionally, LoBiondo and his colleague, Representative Steve LaTourette (OH-18), were asked by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to intervene. During the two week impasse, they had numerous conversations with House Speaker John Boehner (OH-08), Secretary LaHood and Republican Senators.

The funding for back pay would be come from the Aviation Trust Fund. LoBiondo was joined by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (FL-07), House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (NY-03), Representative Gerry Connelly (VA-11), Representative Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03) and fellow New Jersey Representative Jon Runyan (NJ-03) in introducing the bipartisan legislation.

FMI: www.dot.gov, www.house.gov/lobiondo/