Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for putting together a solid bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration.

I am here to discuss how this legislation addresses FAA's research, development, and engineering activities that are within the jurisdiction of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Our role in the FAA reauthorization is to inform the process by crafting legislation that supports R&D to advance American aviation. Our goal with the bill was to support smart, strategic work to promote innovation and keep America the global leader in aviation. That leadership is critical to our national security and our international competitiveness.

For our economy to thrive, we need the ability to transport people and goods quickly, safely, and efficiently. Staying competitive means staying at the leading edge of aviation innovation.

With that in mind, last month, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee unanimously passed H.R. 3559, the FAA Research and Development Act of 2023. That bill, which has been incorporated into the legislation before us today, is the product of months of work within regular order.

We gathered extensive feedback and held a legislative hearing to give our members a chance to directly question stakeholders, industry, and FAA representatives on how best to support innovation and modernization in American aviation.

The result is comprehensive legislation that quite literally supports aviation from the ground up, from the durability of our runways to how we monitor traffic over oceans and remote areas. It accelerates the development of advanced materials for aerospace vehicle construction and supports research into how more accurately to predict the weather to reduce delays and increase safety.

Importantly, it ensures that safety continues to be the primary focus of FAA research and development by requiring a report on whether at least 70 percent of FAA R&D funds are going toward improved safety.

In short, we have put together a solid framework to support FAA's research work, one that is appropriately tailored to FAA's jurisdiction and strengths.

With this legislation, we are ensuring that America remains the global leader in aviation for years to come.

Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren for working with me in good faith to develop the R&D portion of this legislation. I thank Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for incorporating our work into this package.

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