FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018
Floor Speech
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Mr. SHUSTER. 4.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, in calling up H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, this bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by every chair and ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
This bill is critical to our economy, to millions of Americans who work in aviation, and to hundreds of millions of Americans who use the system every year. H.R. 4 authorizes FAA programs through FY 2023.
This is a long-term bill, something that is overdue. Too often, our aviation programs face short-term extensions, CRs, and threats of government shutdowns. We are now operating on the fifth extension from the last long-term FAA law, which was signed on February 14, 2012.
Before the bill was signed into law, Congress passed 23 short-term extensions. This is an incredible amount of uncertainty for programs that rely on long-term stability. That uncertainty was one of the reasons I initially pushed for air traffic control reform, to separate the modernization of our system from the unreliable Federal budget process.
In that regard, this bill only maintains the status quo. I still strongly believe Congress must soon pass real air traffic control reform for the U.S. to finally develop the most modern, advanced aviation system in the world, and right now, we cannot claim that. The more we delay, the more we risk losing our position in the world as a leader in aviation.
So, while H.R. 4 does not contain all the reforms our system needs, it does contain other important reforms that must be implemented. For example, this bill cuts red tape in the certification process so our manufacturers can get products to market on time, stay competitive, and continue providing millions of American jobs.
It streamlines the regulatory process to encourage innovation and new technologies, like unmanned aircraft systems.
It provides critical funding for the AIP program and airport infrastructure across America.
It strengthens protections for passengers, and it addresses safety issues that have arisen in recent years.
The bill contains many good provisions, and I plan to offer a manager's amendment that provides additional improvements. That includes an additional safety provision in light of the April 17 Southwest flight 1380 engine failure.
I want to commend pilot Tammie Jo Shults for her absolute heroic performance after a catastrophic engine failure at over 30,000 feet. This was a prolonged emergency--not over in just a minute or two. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, with a hole in the cabin and believing that a passenger may have been completely sucked out, she calmly and expertly guided the plane to an emergency landing.
Tragically, one person died in the incident, but 148 people are alive today because of Captain Shults and her crew. She prevented what could have been a large tragedy. In my opinion, this is one of the most heroic performances by a pilot and crew in recent memory.
Strengthening our aviation system is only one of the reasons we need to pass today's legislation. H.R. 4 also includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, a measure that passed the House in December with overwhelming support, but it was not taken up in the Senate.
These provisions strengthen FAA's focus on predisaster mitigation, preparing our communities to better withstand the next hurricane, wildfire, flood, or other disasters. Building better and building smarter will save lives and lower the growing cost of disaster recovery. Investing more in mitigating disasters before they strike makes common sense.
This bill is a result of the hard work of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the bill sponsors, and many others. I want to thank Ranking Member DeFazio, Chairman LoBiondo, Ranking Member Larsen, Chairman Barletta, Ranking Member Titus, and the many other Members who worked on this legislation. I look forward to a good debate today and to moving this bill to the Senate.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, it is my great privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the former chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
(Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, it is my great pleasure and honor to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), my friend and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who has been a tireless advocate for aviation safety efficiency, but who has also been a great partner on the committee to me and to the other members of the committee.
Also, I want to mention that--and I think this is accurate--he is the only Member of Congress who has a CDL, commercial driver's license, so he is in a very unique position to not only know and advocate for aviation, but also, on the ground, he knows how commerce moves.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time each side has remaining?
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the full Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the bleating voice on general aviation in Congress.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).
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Mr. SHUSTER. I yield the gentleman from California an additional 15 seconds.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gibbs).
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), the chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I just have one more speaker, and then I am ready to close.
I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).
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Mr. SHUSTER. Will the gentleman yield?
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that I know the gentleman from Florida cares deeply about and has been a champion for his constituents in the commercial space industry. I do commit to the gentleman to work with him as we move to advance this bill forward.
Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Oregon is.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I encourage all Members to support this positive reauthorization of the FAA. I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the manager's amendment. A vote for this amendment is a vote for positive change. A vote against it would be a real missed opportunity to make the bill better.
This amendment enhances the training of flight attendants so they are better equipped to deal with sexual misconduct. It also establishes working groups to develop best practices on how to address sexual misconduct on flights and improve airline employee training.
The amendment addresses an issue which is important to the traveling public and our constituents, and to each of us, in a thoughtful and respectful way.
The amendment adds to the provisions included in H.R. 4 to improve the air travel experience of disabled Americans. It establishes an Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights to clarify the rights of passengers with disabilities and the responsibilities of airlines and airports.
The amendment also strengthens the civil penalties for violations that involve injury to a passenger with a disability or damage to a passenger's wheelchair or other mobility aid.
Finally, the amendment will make it better for both passengers and service animals by harmonizing standards. This will provide much-needed clarity in an area where there is real confusion.
We worked closely with organizations representing persons with disabilities, as well as with the airline industry, and I want to thank all those who were willing to come to the table to make those improvements.
Last week, we witnessed a tragedy when an engine exploded in midair, killing a passenger. A far bigger tragedy was averted thanks again to the professionalism of the flight crew and to the pilot, which I talked about earlier.
The same airline experienced a similar incident 2 years ago, and while the FAA and industry have begun inspections, we must ensure that the airline engine safety is thoroughly assessed, and this amendment mandates a call to action to bring relevant people together to examine and address any risk associated with airline engines.
The amendment also requires a deep-dive study of general aviation. This sector of aviation has the highest number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
While general aviation safety has improved in recent years, in fiscal year 2016, there were still 213 fatal accidents and 379 fatalities.
We must improve the safety of the general aviation community. They share the skies with other airspace users and operate above our neighborhoods. We can and must do better.
Again, the amendment also provides for the direction on how the FAA should spend the additional general fund, operations, airport infrastructure, and F&E money in 2019 and thereafter.
It also revises the FAA authorization levels to reflect the updated CBO baselines for fiscal year 2018.
In response to the drone sightings around airports, the amendment makes counter-drone systems AIP eligible.
It makes improvement to the Airport Investment Partnership Program so that we can leverage private sector money for our airport infrastructure needs.
There are some good government reforms in here. The amendment repeals a costly mandate for aircraft avionics that have not yet proven to be beneficial. This will relieve a future burden on aircraft operators.
The amendment would bring certain FAA processes into the digital age and review agency practices.
Some other important changes are:
The amendment authorizes expenditures for commercial space transportation activities of the FAA;
It also requires better intra-FAA coordination on commercial space transportation's use of the national airspace and addresses the industry's support aircraft;
Commercial space transportation operators, like other users of the airspace, must coordinate and follow instructions of air traffic controllers;
Air traffic controllers keep us moving safely across this country, but they also work in far-off places, including Guam. This amendment requires the FAA workers to work with the Department of Defense so that these folks and their families can get good medical care on the island of Guam;
Finally, the amendment establishes the Youth in Aviation Task Force to attract young people to aviation jobs. This is critical to ensure that our aviation system prospers in the years ahead.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment is a good amendment, it has bipartisan support and will improve the underlying bill. I urge all Members to support the amendment, and
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, our general aviation pilot.
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Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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