[Satellite News 08-22-11] The U.S. congressional super-committee created by the U.S. Budget Control Act could enact an additional $600 billion in defense cuts in order to meet its required 10-year $900 billion budget savings mark, according to Aerospace Industries Association CEO Marion Blakey.

   The super-committee was part of a short-term debt ceiling solution that was signed into law earlier this month after U.S. Congress and President Obama failed to agree on a long-term debt ceiling solution to the United States’ deficit problem. Blakey said that the government satellite sector is deeply concerned that super-committee will not be able to reach consensus, which would lead to critical defense cuts and weakened U.S. national security.

   “Attempts to reach a [debt ceiling] deal that would have addressed all facets of the federal budget and eliminated $2 trillion of our deficit over the next 10 years failed. Instead, we have the Budget Control Act, which requires $900 billion in savings over 10 years, of which $400 billion is expected to come from national security programs,” Blakey said in a statement to Satellite News. “In this first stage, virtually all of the savings come from discretionary programs. The difficult issues involving cuts in entitlement spending were deferred to a new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to solve by the end of this year.”

   AIA cited a long list of concerns related to the uncertainty of how the super-committee would reach its budget targets, including debilitating cuts for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and NASA. Blakey said that research, development, procurement and investment accounts are always the hardest hit during times of budget stringency because operational requirements always must be funded. “The Budget Control Act does not provide enough detail to determine its effect on NextGen, aircraft certification, science research and human spaceflight, but AIA will be fighting hard to preserve FAA and NASA fundraising because we know these programs are at risk,” she said.

   The FAA’s reauthorization extension, which is scheduled for Congressional approval in September, also is a target issue of concern for AIA. The FAA reauthorization contains critical pieces of legislation to improve aviation safety and advance the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System that aims to improve the efficiency of the U.S. air traffic control system.

“After a two-week long partial [U.S. government] shutdown in August, the FAA continues to limp along on extensions because Congress was once again unable to reach a compromise,” said Blakey. “Yet we continue to wait for some resolution of this unfinished business with the FAA working under the same legal authorities it had five years ago. The current extension expires on September 16 and no one can predict confidently whether we will finally have a reauthorization, a 22nd extension or another partial shutdown.”

   AIA said that the organization plans to lobby Congress to make sure that U.S. defense and aerospace budget reductions are made with an “eye to sound strategy” and that there is a positive resolution to the FAA reauthorization bill. “It is simply unfathomable to think that, at a time when jobs are the top issue facing American voters, Congress might cause huge layoffs in a critical and healthy industry vital to our national security, public safety and economic prosperity,” said Blakey. “Our hope is that when members of Congress return after Labor Day, they’ve had the opportunity to meet with their constituents at home and have heard about the importance of reaching consensus on issues that have such importance to our nation.”