Senate passes bill to end air traffic control furloughs

By Richard Cowan and Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate moved quickly late on Thursday to end air traffic controller furloughs that were causing widespread airline flight delays related to last month's automatic federal spending cuts.

Without any debate, the Senate unanimously passed legislation giving the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration.

The House of Representatives, which is expected to approve the measure, could take it up on Friday, capping a feverish effort by Congress to end the flight delays that were snarling traffic at major U.S. airports and angering travelers.

Some Senate aides said the measure would also give the FAA flexibility to keep open nearly 150 "contract towers" at smaller airports that are staffed by non-FAA employees who help control takeoffs and landings.

Explicit language to keep open those towers was not included in the measure, however, according to the aides, and it was not clear how the agency would handle the matter.

"I'm delighted that the Senate has just passed a bipartisan bill to resolve a serious problem confronting the American traveling public and our economy," said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, one of a handful of senators who wrote the legislation.

The bill moved with lightning speed in the Senate where legislation often bogs down for weeks or months. It was passed after a day of furious negotiations between lawmakers and the Obama administration.

The bill, if passed by the House, would close another chapter in a series of Washington battles over budget and taxes that have been waged since 2011.

The cause of the air traffic controller furloughs was the controversial "sequestration" that took effect on March 1, requiring across-the-board spending cuts among most federal agencies. With those cuts starting to bite, a public backlash prompted Congress to reconsider, and fully fund high-profile FAA operations.

Lawmakers are eager to fix the air travel problem before they head out of town for next week's congressional recess. They are concerned about deepening public resentment over the delays caused by the furloughs of controllers.

Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who also negotiated the legislation, applauded its quick passage, but added, "It does nothing for other essential government operations and employees that also desperately need relief."

ANGRY TRAVELERS

Airline passengers have grown increasingly irritated over the past week with delays at major hubs like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Some have reported delays of several hours in takeoff times and planes being put in holding patterns in the air. Many pilots blame furloughs for landing delays.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said on Thursday that many of the 1,978 controller trainees were now working full shifts by themselves to help cover staffing shortages.

Airline executives had ratcheted up their complaints. "This is government not working - capital letters, exclamation point - when we're sitting here holding the traveling public hostage in the midst of sequestration," JetBlue Chief Executive Dave Barger said on a conference call on Thursday.

The FAA has said it had no alternative to furloughing controllers this week after Congress failed to come up with a budget deal that would have averted the $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts between March 1 and September 30.

At the same time, the FAA has emphasized that passenger safety is not at risk. Airlines for America, the trade organization for U.S. airlines, also said on Thursday the furloughs had not created a safety issue.

While Republicans joined the effort for a quick fix, many were skeptical about whether the White House and FAA were taking advantage of flexibility they already had.

Republicans have accused the Obama administration of maximizing the disruptions to try to shift budget blame on Republicans, an allegation the administration has denied. Republicans have created a Twitter hashtag, #Obamaflightdelays, for people to complain about the delays.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, a California Republican, and House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, sent a letter on Thursday to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking for internal documents discussing budget flexibilities. The Department of Transportation said it was reviewing the request.

But a congressional aide involved in the original automatic spending cut legislation that was enacted in August 2011 told Reuters the administration could not under current law shift money from outside accounts to fund the air traffic controller account.

SEQUESTRATION FALLOUT

Without the legislation, the FAA said it would have to furlough 47,000 employees for up to 11 days through September 30 in order to save $637 million that is required by the sequestration.

Of those 47,000 workers, almost 15,000 are full-time air traffic controllers or trainees.

The FAA issued an update that said more than 863 delays in the system on Wednesday were attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furloughs.

An additional 2,132 delays were attributed to weather and other factors, the FAA said. The agency said it would work with airlines to minimize delays.

Airlines, many of which are reporting earnings this week, have pushed the government to quickly ease the flight delays caused by the furloughs.

Jeff Smisek, chairman and chief executive of United Continental Holdings Inc, said his company's network operations center was working around the clock to minimize the impact of fewer controllers.

"We are disappointed that the FAA chose this path, that maximizes customer disruptions and damage to airlines instead of choosing a less disruptive method to comply with the budget obligations," Smisek said on a conference call.

The proposal being weighed would not spare other agencies and federal programs from the across-the-board reductions.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Doug Palmer, Thomas Ferraro, David Lawder, Karen Jacobs and Nivedita Bhattacharjee; Writing by Karey Van Hall; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Peter Cooney)

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Catholic Church withdraws subpoena to Obama on birth control

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scaling down a legal fight with the White House, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has agreed to drop a request for documents about the government's requirement of insurance coverage for birth control, a court filing on Monday said.

The archdiocese sent a subpoena to President Barack Obama's administration in February asking for documents from White House staff, including Obama himself, for use in a church lawsuit against the contraception mandate.

Citing the burden involved and calling a subpoena of the president's office inappropriate, the White House asked a federal judge to toss out the subpoena on April 4.

A notice filed in U.S. District Court in Washington late on Monday said the archdiocese agreed to withdraw its subpoena. It did not say why.

A lawyer for the archdiocese declined to comment on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the White House in court, had no immediate comment.

The archdiocese is continuing its lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court challenging the Obama administration's health policy requirement that employers generally include coverage of birth control in health insurance plans they offer workers.

The Catholic Church teaches that artificial birth control is sinful because it violates natural law.

Part of the 2010 healthcare law championed by Obama and congressional Democrats, the birth control mandate has some exceptions for religious employers but the New York archdiocese said it expected to incur nearly $200 million each year in penalties if it refuses to comply.

(Reporting by David Ingram; editing by Andrew Hay)

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U.S. victims of mass shootings seek control over donations

By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Survivors of mass U.S. shootings have united to provide victims of future tragedies greater control over donations made after such events and to prevent nonprofit groups from holding onto money intended for families of the dead and wounded.

A group representing families of those killed at the Columbine, Virginia Tech and Aurora mass shootings wants to ensure any unspecified funds raised as a result of the Newtown shooting go directly to victims and their families.

Newtown, the Connecticut town where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, has identified more than 60 funds raising money on behalf of victims or projects related to the shooting.

The families of some mass shooting victims want a National Compassion Fund established to manage future donations.

"Going back to Oklahoma City, we've seen families who have had to endure not only horrific loss, but also the unimaginable task of wrestling with Byzantine nonprofit bureaucracies to access financial relief intended for them," the families said in a statement. "It's time to stop the madness. We cannot watch this happen, yet again, in Sandy Hook."

The informal group, so far unnamed, has initiated talks with senior White House officials and two members of Congress about establishing an official fundraising operation for such tragedies, said Caryn Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the families. She declined to name the officials out of concern it might jeopardize the project.

The group is examining whether legislation or an executive order would be needed to create a federal or nonprofit entity that would coordinate donations after any future tragedy.

The project has won initial support from Kenneth Feinberg, the influential Washington lawyer who administered funds for victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and several mass shootings.

Jerri Jackson, whose son Matt McQuinn was killed with 11 others in the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, wants it to be easier for future victims to receive aid.

"It's not a matter of if something else happens, it's when something else happens," Jackson said. "Immediately, a fund would be set up. It would be a trusted fund that people would feel they could give to and the money would go to the victims."

Jackson said she was forced to "jump through hoops in the midst of tragedy" to receive money raised in her son's name.

Nearly $5.9 million in Aurora donations were channeled to the Community First Foundation. When victims' families publicly complained about the pace of disbursement, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper called in Feinberg, who oversaw the disbursement within 45 days. The victims' fund was later shut down.

After the 2007 Virginia Tech University shooting that killed 32 people, more than $10 million spontaneously flowed to the university's fundraising foundation, university spokesman Larry Hincker said.

Because that foundation was only authorized to spend money on the university, an executive order from the governor was needed to disburse the funds to victims, Hincker said.

Michael Pohle, a member of the group whose son was killed at Virginia Tech, said: "What was so insulting was we had to fill out documents, have them notarized, and basically beg and apply for dollars."

Feinberg recognized some grieving survivors were upset but defended the disbursement process following both tragedies, noting the highly unusual circumstances, complex legal requirements and emotional strain on the families.

FAMILIES BAND TOGETHER

The ad hoc group of 64 people lost relatives in tragedies such as the September 11 attacks, the 2008 shooting at Northern Illinois University and the Sikh temple shooting last year at Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

The group has not involved the Sandy Hook families regarding the distribution of Newtown funds, saying it was too soon for those still grieving. Even so, the group was concerned about the confusion caused by having dozens of nonprofit groups collecting money in Newtown, said Kaufman, the group's spokeswoman.

Some of the Newtown funds were designated for a specific purpose, such as creating a playground or scholarship. In other cases, the funds refer to more general goals of supporting the victims. The group believes that money should go to the victims' families.

Feinberg has overseen disbursements of funds following September 11, the BP oil spill and several mass shootings. Though he is not affiliated with the group, he supports the concept Of having a protocol in place when a future tragedy occurs.

"I think it's a great idea," Feinberg said. "The question is: Is there the political will to do it?"

(This story was corrected in paragraph 12 to clarify that victims' fund, not foundation, was closed)

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Stacey Joyce)

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Airport control towers closed in budget cuts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it will close 149 air traffic control towers beginning on April 7 to meet required automatic spending cuts.

Another 40 towers previously slated for closure will remain open, the agency said in a statement.

"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency would work with affected airports and operators to ensure procedures are in place to maintain a high level of safety.

In early March, the FAA proposed closing 189 contract air traffic control towers as part of its plan to meet the $637 million in cuts required under budget sequestration.

The agency said on Friday it had decided to keep 24 of the towers open because closing them would have a negative impact on the national interest.

Another 16 towers under a "cost-share" program were spared because the required 5 percent cut to that portion of the budget did not require the towers to be closed.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Todd Eastham)

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FAA to close 149 control towers to meet budget cuts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it will close 149 air traffic control towers beginning on April 7 to meet required automatic spending cuts.

Another 40 towers previously slated for closure will remain open, the agency said in a statement.

"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency would work with affected airports and operators to ensure procedures are in place to maintain a high level of safety.

In early March, the FAA proposed closing 189 contract air traffic control towers as part of its plan to meet the $637 million in cuts required under budget sequestration.

The agency said on Friday it had decided to keep 24 of the towers open because closing them would have a negative impact on the national interest.

Another 16 towers under a "cost-share" program were spared because the required 5 percent cut to that portion of the budget did not require the towers to be closed.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Todd Eastham)

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NRA affiliate files lawsuit challenging New York's gun control laws

By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association's affiliate in New York filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the state's new gun control measures, passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

The state Rifle & Pistol Association charged that New York's laws banning assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms.

The lawsuit, filed in Buffalo federal court, also alleged that the law's "radically broadened" definition of assault weapons is unconstitutionally vague.

"This is an action to vindicate the right of the people of the State of New York to keep and bear arms," the lawsuit said.

It comes on the same week that backers of gun control in the Senate dropped their bid to re-impose a federal ban on assault weapons, a measure that had faced considerable opposition in both houses of Congress.

Democratic lawmakers instead opted to scale back White House proposals for sweeping gun-control measures, saying they would focus on a bill that penalize "straw purchasers" who help criminals to avoid background checks. That measure has broader support in Congress.

New York's gun control measures, known as the SAFE Act, were enacted in January, making New York the first state to pass tougher laws following the December 14 mass shooting in Newtown that left 20 children and six adults dead as well as the shooter.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office will defend the law in court, declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a statement that the law makes New Yorkers safer while "ensuring constitutional protections to responsible gun owners."

A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the law after the state legislature passed it within hours of its introduction, did not immediately return a request for comment.

The lawsuit is one of a handful of court challenges to the new regulations. But Thursday's complaint marks the first time that a group officially linked to the powerful NRA has weighed in on New York's new law.

Other plaintiffs in the case include gun dealers, other gun owner groups and several individual gun owners.

In addition to Second Amendment claims, the lawsuit alleged that the SAFE Act violated equal protection rights by allowing owners to load 10 rounds of ammunition into their guns at shooting ranges or in competition while limiting them to seven rounds when at home.

It also claimed that the law violates interstate commerce protections by requiring all gun sales to be made by sellers who are licensed and based in New York, thereby excluding out-of-state dealers.

The lawsuit was filed on the same day that Vice President Joseph Biden, who has led the Obama administration's effort to pass new federal gun control measures, joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall to call on Congress to adopt the president's proposals.

Colorado became the second state this week to pass stricter gun control laws since Newtown, expanding background checks and banning magazines with more than 15 rounds.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, Editing by Scott Malone; Editing by David Gregorio)

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Colorado governor will sign three gun control measures on Wednesday

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado's governor will sign three gun control bills into law on Wednesday, including one banning ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds in a state that has experienced two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

The measures that Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper will sign also include a bill requiring universal background checks for gun buyers, and another that requires gun buyers to pay for their own background checks, said the governor's spokesman, Eric Brown.

The bills passed both chambers of the Colorado state legislature last week as part of a package of gun control legislation that followed months of heated discussion and pushed Colorado to the forefront of a national gun control debate.

State lawmakers have also approved legislation banning online certification for concealed-carry permits. Another measure could bar gun purchases by domestic violence offenders, although Hickenlooper had previously said he was undecided about that measure until he sees the final wording.

The passage of those bills comes as the nation reels from several mass shootings last year, including the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

That followed a mass shooting in Colorado in July when a gunman opened fire in a crowded premiere of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.

Former University of Colorado neuroscience graduate student James Holmes, 25, has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder in that case.

Colorado was also the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide. Several of the guns used in that attack were bought at gun shows.

Following Columbine, the state closed a loophole that allowed firearms purchases at gun shows without a background check.

The Colorado legislature's action follows the passage in New York state in January of a sweeping gun-control law that bans assault weapons and magazines that hold more than seven rounds of ammunition, requires gun owners to register most guns with the state and requires universal background checks.

President Barack Obama has put forward a number of federal gun-control proposals following the Newtown killings.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

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Colo. governor to sign state gun control measures

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado's governor will sign three gun control bills into law on Wednesday, including one banning ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds in a state that has experienced two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

The measures that Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper will sign also include a bill requiring universal background checks for gun buyers, and another that requires gun buyers to pay for their own background checks, said the governor's spokesman, Eric Brown.

The bills passed both chambers of the Colorado state legislature last week as part of a package of gun control legislation that followed months of heated discussion and pushed Colorado to the forefront of a national gun control debate.

State lawmakers have also approved legislation banning online certification for concealed-carry permits. Another measure could bar gun purchases by domestic violence offenders, although Hickenlooper had previously said he was undecided about that measure until he sees the final wording.

The passage of those bills comes as the nation reels from several mass shootings last year, including the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

That followed a mass shooting in Colorado in July when a gunman opened fire in a crowded premiere of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.

Former University of Colorado neuroscience graduate student James Holmes, 25, has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder in that case.

Colorado was also the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide. Several of the guns used in that attack were bought at gun shows.

Following Columbine, the state closed a loophole that allowed firearms purchases at gun shows without a background check.

The Colorado legislature's action follows the passage in New York state in January of a sweeping gun-control law that bans assault weapons and magazines that hold more than seven rounds of ammunition, requires gun owners to register most guns with the state and requires universal background checks.

President Barack Obama has put forward a number of federal gun-control proposals following the Newtown killings.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

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Chicago votes in House race dominated by gun control issue

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago area voters on Tuesday choose a Democrat to succeed indicted former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., in a race that has turned into the first major election clash on gun control since the Connecticut school massacre.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a champion of tighter gun controls, has poured more than $2 million from his political war chest into the contest in an effort to elect a candidate favoring tighter restrictions.

The Illinois lobbying group aligned with the gun rights group the National Rifle Association, has endorsed a candidate opposed to an assault weapons ban.

The outcome of the special election will be an indication of whether Bloomberg and other advocates of gun control can effectively challenge the money and political influence of the NRA, which has long been a powerful force in elections.

The special election is to fill the seat of Jackson, who resigned last November citing health problems, and pleaded guilty in federal court last week to using campaign funds for personal enrichment.

Jackson was a reliable vote in Congress for gun control. But early polls in the race to succeed him showed that the Democratic primary could be won by Debbie Halvorson, a candidate who has an "A" rating from the NRA and opposes a ban on assault weapons.

Bloomberg elbowed into the race, blanketing Chicago television with ads attacking Halvorson and endorsing Robin Kelly, who supports tighter gun restrictions.

With 14 candidates in the race, the outcome is unpredictable. One public poll published last Friday showed Halvorson holding a slim lead but some private polls have showed Kelly pulling ahead.

The race also is unpredictable because of Chicago's racially charged politics. The district is majority African-American although parts of it stretch south to the predominantly white outer suburbs of Chicago.

Halvorson, who is the only white candidate, has appealed to suburban voters who might be sympathetic to gun ownership. Kelly, who is black, has highlighted a plague of gun violence in Chicago's inner city.

The winner of the Democratic primary is likely to be elected to the seat because the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

(Reporting by Renita Young; writing by Greg McCune; editing by Jackie Frank)

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Gun control supporter backed by New York mayor wins Chicago vote

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gun control supporter and former Illinois state Representative Robin Kelly on Tuesday won the Democratic primary to replace indicted former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. in a race that highlighted the national debate over gun violence.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a champion of tighter restrictions on weapons, poured more than $2 million into the Chicago race. He backed Kelly and attacked her main opponent, Debbie Halvorson, who was supported by the gun rights lobby.

A little over an hour after the polls closed, Halvorson called Kelly to concede defeat, saying that Bloomberg's television attack ads had affected the race.

The ads highlighted Halvorson's support from the powerful gun rights lobby, the National Rifle Association, and her opposition to a ban on assault weapons.

"There was $2.3 million minimum spent against me," Halvorson told supporters after she conceded defeat. "That's the way it is. I can't help it."

Gun control vaulted to the top of the U.S. political agenda after the December 14 killing of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. The Chicago election on Tuesday was the first major test of the political potency of the gun control issue since the shooting.

The city's murder rate has risen because of what police say is a surge of gang violence in poor neighborhoods. The shootings have claimed the lives of dozens of young people including Hadiya Pendleton, a high school student who was killed just over a week after she performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

Obama has pushed Congress to pass restrictions on guns and Bloomberg has used his business fortune to battle the money and clout of the NRA.

Bloomberg issued a statement after Kelly was declared the winner saying that the Illinois vote showed Americans want change in Washington.

"As Congress considers the president's gun package, voters in Illinois have sent a clear message: We need common sense gun legislation now. Now it's up to Washington to act," he said.

Kelly favors an assault weapons ban and highlighted a rash of gun violence in Chicago, including some parts of the congressional district that stretches from the city to the southern suburbs.

The special election was to fill the seat of Jackson, who resigned in November citing health problems, and pleaded guilty in federal court last week to using campaign funds for personal enrichment.

Jackson was a reliable vote in Congress for gun control. Until Bloomberg elbowed into the race, polls had shown that Halvorson could win the Democratic primary.

Turnout was light in the special election in part because of a snowstorm that hit the Chicago area on Tuesday, making travel treacherous.

The winner of the Democratic primary is likely to be elected to the seat in the general election on April 9 because the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

(Reporting by Renita Young, writing by Greg McCune, editing by Doina Chiacu)

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