Congressman Chris Collins returns to Washington this week hoping for action that would reverse the damaging cuts resulting from the federal sequester.
The Clarence Republican says he has signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation that would give department heads in the federal government the flexibility to transfer funds in the accounts they control. Collins says such flexibility would help the Defense Department fund the C-130 flight simulator at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, which is threatened under the sequester.
"It's not a partisan situation to say let's give the Secretary of Defense the flexibility to make sure our military is standing ready, so that we can put fuel into our aircraft carriers and buy and install the C-130 simulator at the air base," Collins said.
But if the Republican-controlled House passes the flexibility bill, it's future is uncertain. The White House is vigorously opposed to the bill, claiming no amount of flexibility will mitigate the damage of the across-the-board cuts that took effect last Friday.