AIA Welcomes FY19 Appropriations Deal

We welcome Congress completing Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations to avoid another costly government shutdown and ensure key government responsibilities can be executed for the rest of the fiscal year. We strongly urge President Trump to sign it into law immediately.

"We're just beginning to recover from the 35-day shutdown," said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. "It's critical that we conclude the FY19 appropriations process, so we can move on to FY20 authorizations and appropriations without further delay. Lifting the Budget Control Act caps, re-establishing regular order, and passing timely budgets have to be top priorities."

The shutdown caused substantial ripple effects across the aerospace industry. Every day the shutdown lasted lengthened the time and expense to address backlogs of work. With the Departments of State and Commerce closed, export licenses could no longer be processed, causing delays in the delivery of products to foreign customers. Contractors who work in closed government facilities couldn't report for work, causing furloughs and further delays in key programs.

"Now we need to get back to passing appropriations on time," Fanning said. "The string of delays and stop-and-starts caused by continuing resolutions and shutdowns has undermined industry's ability to plan and increased the cost of doing business with the federal government. Other countries are investing and innovating at full steam, so we urge Congress and President Trump to work together to put government on a stable footing moving forward."