Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning has addressed a letter to congressional leaders, urging the finalization of 12 individual appropriations bills before the March 14, 2025 funding deadline. In his communication, Fanning warns against extending the current Continuing Resolution (CR), highlighting that it would result in a defense budget increase of only 1% above current levels. He argues this is insufficient given global strategic challenges.
"Extending the current CR to a full year would finalize a defense budget only 1% above current levels – at a time when the world is growing more dangerous amid strategic challenges from China and other potential adversaries," said Fanning. "This is not adequate to maintain current services nor to ensure that the American military remains the most lethal force in the world, and it sends the wrong message to our warfighters and to American businesses we hope to attract to the defense industrial base."
Fanning also highlights bipartisan initiatives for commercial aviation that require modernization efforts. "For agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, a full-year CR at current levels would deny funding increases to hire additional air traffic controllers and aviation safety personnel and to modernize our aging air traffic control system – two much needed, long-overdue initiatives that already have bipartisan support in the House and Senate."
The AIA has consistently advocated for stable, on-time appropriations, noting that prolonged reliance on continuing resolutions harms industry readiness. Fanning encourages Congress to leverage its financial authority through detailed analysis during appropriations processes.
"You can read the full letter here or find it below," he concludes.
Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, Democratic Leader Schumer, and Democratic Leader Jeffries:
As you make decisions to complete the appropriations process for fiscal year 2025, the aerospace and defense industry strongly urges you to finalize 12 individual appropriations bills before the March 14, 2025 deadline, and not depend on a further continuing resolution (CR). Companies like those within AIA's membership rely on timely government funding. This is now two consecutive years where outdated funding levels have been extended due to autopilot government operations. With next year's budget request approaching Congress soon, it's crucial to responsibly conclude FY25 appropriations.
Extending the CR would finalize a defense budget only marginally above current levels during an increasingly dangerous global landscape with threats from China among others. It inadequately supports maintaining service levels or ensuring U.S. military dominance while sending negative signals domestically within our defense industrial base.
For FAA-related entities specifically: sustained CR terms restrict necessary hiring expansions for air traffic control staff alongside updates required across aged systems—areas already garnering broad legislative backing nationwide.
These examples underscore why individual appropriation acts surpass annualized continuance mechanisms by safeguarding vital sectors such as aerospace innovation/safety personnel roles without compromising Congress' capacity toward line-item scrutiny/funding alignment during official review stages.
We believe congressional completion concerning FY25 allocations prior until March end remains achievable upon concerted effort fulfillment thereof accordingly encouraged herein stated otherwise...
Respectfully,
Eric Fanning
