No wonder the White House believes it’s winning the 10-day-old standoff with Republicans over the government shutdown. With the power he has American businesses, including much of the aviation industry, the president holds what might be an unbeatable hand. If Republicans didn’t know it before, they do now.
With one phone call to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, President Obama could order the FAA’s Oklahoma City aircraft registration office reopened and start the flow of aircraft deliveries. Until then, aircraft sales are grounded as registry paperwork piles up. That means Boeing and Airbus can’t deliver airliners to U.S. customers. Business jet manufacturers have their hands similarly tied. Even the sale of a measly used Cessna 150 can’t go through until the FAA Registry reopens.
Should President Obama capitulate and open the FAA office that handles aircraft registrations? Many of us in aviation think yes, but our opinion doesn’t count for much. The president has made it abundantly clear that he won’t cave to Republicans, whose tactics are aimed at derailing his health care law. We also know that President Obama is no friend of aviation. By holding the global aviation industry hostage, he owns a Gulfstream-size bargaining chip nobody can ignore.
Republicans are now seeking to negotiate over the nation’s debt limit, but it looks like the government will stay shut. That means aircraft sales transactions remain in a strange state of limbo for now. Meanwhile, Tea Party Republicans who vehemently oppose Obamacare continue to play a dangerous game. The 30 or so far-right members of the House who instigated the shutdown have essentially turned their backs not only on general aviation, but on a large swath of American business in general. Some business leaders who bankrolled Tea Party candidate elections are now stating publicly that** they may throw money behind primary challengers **to push these newcomers out.
When I called my Republican Congressman recently to ask about the shutdown’s impact on aviation, his press manager admitted to me that they had no idea this was even an issue. The mainstream media, after all, has been focused on National Parks and Veterans, not Learjets and Citations. Thanks to the National Business Aviation Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association and AOPA, Congress understands the issue now. Ten days too late.
President Obama knows that the squeeze on the aviation industry, as well as on other industries and Wall Street, puts enormous pressure on Republicans to “surrender” (to use House Speaker John Boehner’s word) and reopen the government. Can Republicans back down now?
As long as the White House refuses to negotiate over the shutdown and the president holds all the cards, Republicans have little choice.
It’s time to admit this overplayed hand is lost and move on.
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