U.S. Senator Jerry Moran  has called on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta to explain why bonuses were awarded to FAA employees earlier this year in advance of sequestration budget cuts even after Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood instructed the heads of the department’s operating administrations not to award bonuses.  (click on the letter to read more)

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the FAA notified employees in January of salary bonuses. Three months later, the FAA announced plans to close contract control towers and to implement across the board furloughs due to sequestration, which resulted in travel delays for airline passengers. In April, Congress passed legislation that provided the FAA additional flexibility to transfer funding within the agency to prevent tower closures and reduced operations.

“We are very concerned by these reports as they once again indicate both a lack of sound business management and a failure by the FAA to adequately plan for implementation of sequestration,” Sen. Moran wrote in the letter to Administrator Huerta along with 16 of his colleagues. “At the time when sequestration was one month away, the FAA’s leadership ignored Secretary LaHood’s specific guidance and awarded bonuses.”