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Investigations regularly performed by The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are not
occurring. When federal investigators are unable to
examine transportation accidents, they are prevented
from compiling information about mistakes that can
contribute to making transportation systems safer.
Moreover, the agencies have no way of completing routine
investigations of crashes, including inspecting the
recent Tesla Model S that experienced a battery fire on
October 1.
Rockefeller noted that further delays in reopening the
government will only do more harm to our fragile
economy, and continue to jeopardize the safety of our
communities and families. Since the shutdown started,
the Chairman has been calling for Speaker Boehner to
bring a clean CR to the floor.
On
Wednesday the House of Representatives passed a bill to
fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), H.J.
Res. 90, as part of an attempt to fund the federal
government for Fiscal Year 2014 in a piecemeal fashion.
Rockefeller said “I agree that the FAA should be funded
immediately, along with all of our other agencies.
The Senate passed a clean continuing resolution
to do this one that a majority of the House supports and
I believe the House should vote on it today so we can
resume the critically important work of our entire
federal government.”
The U.S. Travel Association released a new analysis that
estimates the partial government shutdown costs the U.S.
$152 million a day in economic output due to lost
travel-related activity, affecting as many as 450,000
American workers directly or indirectly supported by the
travel industry.
“The government shutdown is throttling America’s travel
sector, which, until now, has been one of the principal
drivers of U.S. economic recovery,” said U.S. Travel
President and CEO Roger Dow. “Every day the government
is shut down is another $152 million down the drain and
another day of financial insecurity for as many as
450,000 U.S. workers whose livelihoods are supported by
travel.”
Travel is America’s No.1 services export, and the travel
industry has added jobs faster than the rest of the
economy since the U.S. economic recovery began in 2010.
U.S. Travel estimated that the direct, indirect and
induced impact of lost travel-related activity due to
the partial government shutdown costs the U.S. $152
million a day in economic output. The combined effects
of temporary layoffs, reduced wages and fewer hours
worked as a result of the shutdown affects as many as
450,000 U.S. workers who are directly or indirectly
supported by America’s travel economy.
The House Democrats are trying to push through a
‘Discharge Petition’ to Force Vote, End Shutdown. A
"discharge petition" will force an up or down vote
on a clean continuing resolution consistent with the
funding levels already passed by the Senate and does
not require any action by Republican leadership. A
combination of all 200 House Democrats and at least
18 Republicans need to sign the petition to force a
vote. If successful, the move could have the federal
government up and running by early as next week.
House members were not able to file the petition
until Saturday, October 12, seven legislative days
from the introduction of the resolution. Over the
last 30 years, 7 out of 7 "discharge petitions" have
succeeded in bringing measures to the House floor
for a vote.
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