The Federal Aviation Administration is once again facing a potential partial shutdown on Jan. 31 if Congress does not extend the agency's funding. The debate has not shifted much, if at all, since
last summer's shutdown: Republicans want to block FAA reauthorization unless they can insert a provision that would make it all but impossible for airline workers to join unions. Under the Republican plan, every worker eligible to vote in a union representation election would be counted as having voted. If you didn't vote, you're counted as having voted no. Under such a standard, there would be no one in Congress right now.
Republicans took some hits in the battle for public opinion last summer. So while they're still focused on the anti-democratic anti-union provision, some may hesitate to go to the mat for it in an election year. That's why the Communications Workers of America (which represents flight attendants, among other things) is targeting two vulnerable Republicans, Minnesota's Chip Cravaack and Wisconsin's Sean Duffy, with radio ads calling on them to pass a clean FAA reauthorization bill.
Politico reports that transportation leaders in the House and Senate are focused on passing a long-term reauthorization rather than yet another short-term bill, but such a long-term bill is precisely where the Republicans have been unwilling to sacrifice their anti-union dreams.