Shut Down the Airports, Mr. President!

Since Congress has not seen fit to authorize the budget of the FAA, which administers all aviation operations in the US, safety concerns warrant an immediate shutdown of all airports, effective immediately. Since the FAA falls under the DOT, it is an Executive Branch agency, under the President of the United States. If Congress won't fund this vital agency, the safety of our airports cannot be assured, since inspectors and other FAA personnel are furloughed. It is not enough that the Air Traffic Controllers are still on the job. Other FAA personnel play vital roles in the safety of air transportation.

Send a message to Congress that their actions and inactions have consequences, President Obama. Let them know that they must act responsibly to assure the safety and peace of mind the FAA provides to our air transportation system.

n/t

Do it.

But that's not the reason to shut them down. The reason is that Congress decided not to fund the FAA. That destroys their oversight of air transport in this country. It's a disaster waiting to happen, and it's Congress's fault entirely. They're behaving irresponsibly in this and in many other things. Time to let them know that their actions have consequences.

nor is their health insurance being paid, nor any perks privately contracted outside the Congressional building.

The executive spends the money that Congress allocates. I'm sure there are better places to spend it than on men who are already fat with bribes from corporate interests.

Congressional operating budget expenditures. It is only in charge of Executive Branch agencies. But, there are tons and tons of those, and the President can take any of them down to a skeleton operation at any time. The President has great power within the Executive Branch, and it reaches into every state and every part of this country. In a fiscal crisis, it's well within his power to essentially shut down any of the Executive Branch functions as an austerity measure. The consequences could be enormous, and would affect every state. In fact, since those agencies and organization are in the control of the Executive, they could be scaled down on a state-by-state basis, even. The possibilities are endless.

See the link for lists of all Executive Branch organizations, all of which are under the direct control of the President. See if you don't see some possibilities there:

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml

If the airports are not safe, then it would seem that they could be shut down by the Commander in Chief.

shutting the system down for safety reasons. After all, the Executive Branch is responsible for assuring the safety of air travel through the FAA. The post you were replying to was saying that the President can't do anything about Congress paying its staff. That's not in his portfolio. He can shut down the airports because the FAA isn't funded. The FAA is an Executive Branch function.

Very dramatic. Very effective message.

Including those flying under visual sight rules.

Except, of course, for medical flights.

Make a speech and tell the American people that Congress is threatening their safety. Tell them to contact their representatives to get the FAA funded. Tie it to the debt ceiling crisis. Hold Congress's feet to the fire.

are far off and unfunded. I can see some actions being possible there, too. For safety, you know...we don't want another I-35W bridge collapse - that's for sure. I'd take a very close look at the situation in some specific states, I think. Of course, if it turns out that there's not enough money to go around if the debt ceiling isn't raised, President Obama might have to shut down much of the DOT. Without their oversight, it wouldn't be possible to assure people that the Interstates were safe, since things like bridge inspections couldn't happen. Almost anything could happen in that situation.

Without an increase in the debt ceiling, many executive branch agencies might have to be cut drastically. No money, you see. Like the NRC, a branch of the DOE. Could be they'd have to shut down a lot of nuclear power plants if the oversight agency couldn't do its job. Safety again. And again, you'd have to look at each individual plant, you know, so plants in some states might have to be shut down before plants in other states.

The consequences could be far reaching, indeed.

It's very complex.

Not the FAA, no one. The lack of a funding bill has shut down mainly airport construction projects.

that's the problem, you see. It's Congress that needs a wake-up call.

has no control over them. Congress is its own branch of government, and does have some money to spend on its own. There's really no way to take it away from them, so they can spend it as they please. That's not to say I wouldn't like to see them all sleeping in their offices and typing their own letters, but the President can't do anything about that, I'm afraid.

:hi:

The House has passed a FAA funding bill but I read somewhere there are "controversial" items in it. I don't know what those are. The Senate has not acted on it.

and then lie to the American people about why he's doing it to by making up a "safety" issue that his own administration and others have denied exists?

Great plan there. Not.

if he wanted to. That is the point. He will not, of course. This thread is about the actual power the President has. There are many things he CAN do. There are many he cannot do. Focusing on the things he can do is more effective than damning him for not doing things he has no power to do.

This thread is about understanding government and how it actually functions. I don't always spell everything out, you see, but I'm always happy to explain if someone doesn't get it.

The problem is because its a 'could'.. he would get blamed for more or less shutting down the country and the economy.. and he would be toast.. doing it and pointing at Congress sounds great, but thats not what people would see...

Never mind.

If that's not what you meant, then sorry. If it is, then I stand by my previous post.

The other way to do it is to pay the FAA with the TSA's money.

Let everyone fly without being groped.

-Hoot

But we are unable to choose not to have a plane fall on our houses. Commercial aviation depends upon strict, monitored, enforced safety practices. Without those, airlines should not be flying.

what I suggested. He's in charge of that stuff. He's not in charge of Congress, though. More's the pity.

:toast:

I hope someone can get it to the President?

It would hurt the economy but why have the Homeland Security if the FAA cannot communicate with them. This is putting our country at risk. It is in our national interest that the President do this.

even call out the republicons in Congress for this joke of a debt cieling "debate."

I find it extremely doubtful that he'd shut down the airports and blame the repub's on it.

I do agree the repub's are risking safety by ignoring this FAA measure, but they would definitely paint Obama as the enemy in this one. I mean, they're already accusing Obama of creating the debt cieling crisis, even though that's a complete lie.

But if Obama did have the guts to accuse the repub's, I'd say go for it.

Close down the TSA and their silly X-ray machines. Save Billions instantly.

It would piss a lot of people off. They would be shooting at my ass. But I would do it.

Then, if they called a recess, I would call them back to Washington to take care of this "crisis".

What are we paying them for, anyway?