Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Chair, Congress should invest in supporting an aviation sector that puts people first to enhance passenger experience, bolster the aviation workforce, and promote safety for all. I am concerned that several meaningful measures proposed as amendments and supported in principle on both sides of the aisle, were not given fair consideration or debate on the floor. Although I will be voting in favor of this legislation, I urge the Senate to make improvements to the bill, including to maintain the current retirement age for pilots at age 65.

Raising pilot's retirement age would put the U.S. in conflict with international standards, which require pilots to retire at 65. Commercial pilots aged 65 or older will be ineligible to fly internationally. Junior pilots, who have endured financially burdensome trainings, will be displaced by their more senior colleagues, and have to return to a backlog of pilot training to requalify for new roles. These complications will likely result in higher costs to airlines and increased ticket prices to consumers.

Our Nation's premier aviation package should also include protections for the travelling public. The Biden Administration led the way in proposing measures to combat junk fees from airlines. These include banning family seating junk fees, requiring transparency in add-on fees, and generating automatic refunds for flight cancellations and delays within an airline's control. Taxes and fees can pad as much as 40 percent of a ticket's cost, and the administration's proposals would help reduce flight costs for travelers. Instead of building off those protections, this bill would interrupt the administration's work towards establishing these important protections. It also erases transparency protections that have been in place for more than a decade regarding disclosing taxes, fees, and surcharges.

America needs the stable, long-term funding provided by this reauthorization. It also needs reforms for safety, transparency, and workers which were excluded from the bill. I urge the Senate to address these shortcomings as this bill moves forward.

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