Curbelo Secures Inclusion of FEMA Reforms in House-Passed FAA Reauthorization

Press Release

Today, Representative Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) celebrated House passage of the long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018.

The bill included the bipartisan Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which Curbelo advocated for with House leadership when they visited the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma last year, to help communities lessen the impact of future disasters with smarter building and more efficient Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs.

"This FAA reauthorization package works to ensure that our aviation system remains well-equipped, secure, and safe for passengers and pilots alike," Curbelo said. "I'm proud that it will not only provide vital enhancements to the U.S. aviation system, but also critical and needed reforms to the federal governments disaster relief programs. These bipartisan reforms will help communities like the Florida Keys and Puerto Rico while they continue to recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and support other communities that are working to prepare and mitigate for any future disasters. This is a critical step toward improving and addressing some of the lessons we learned from the last hurricane season, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act quickly so the President can sign and implement these changes before the next hurricane season begins."

"In October Carlos brought me to visit the devastation in Florida following Hurricanes Irma and Maria," Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said. "We walked through communities completely decimated by the hurricanes and talked about updated policies that will help these communities recover and rebuild. Since then Carlos has worked hard to ensure smart reforms to FEMA and the Stafford Act become law and benefit the communities in South Florida. After today we are one step closer to delivering those reforms to help Florida rebuild. Carlos will continue his tireless work on this issue to ensure Senate delivers these reforms to the President."

After nearly two-dozen short-term FAA reauthorizations over the past decade, the House has taken a bold, bipartisan step forward by passing a long-term extension of five years by a vote of 393-13. Curbelo, a long-time champion of reforming the process of hiring Air Traffic Controllers, included language to modernize the process in a bill that was signed into law in 2016.

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