WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; member of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee; and co-chair of the Senate Aerospace Caucus – issued the following statement regarding today’s agreement between House and Senate leaders to move forward with a long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization:

“Today’s agreement means we can get back to doing what matters most to air travelers nationwide and to Kansans – making real progress for our aviation system, keeping Americans safe, improving our airports and empowering aircraft manufacturers to create jobs. The FAA’s role is critical, and for too long, the kind of lasting, long-term FAA reauthorization we need to put in place to give our aviation community certainty has been bogged down by controversial proposals to privatize our air traffic control system, harming all but our nation’s largest airports. I have long said that such proposals would never have the votes needed to pass the Senate. I look forward to working with Chairman Thune and Chairman Shuster along with my colleagues to move a long-term reauthorization forward.”

Items to Note

• Kansans have built three out of every four general aviation aircraft since the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, and today, over 40,000 Kansans make a living manufacturing, operating and servicing the world’s highest quality aircraft.
• Last Congress, Sen. Moran voted in favor of the Senate’s FAA reform proposal and opposed the six-month extension that resulted after disagreement with the House.
• Sen. Moran has been a vocal opponent of proposals to privatize our nation’s air traffic control system, advocating instead in favor of proposals to provide greater protections for the general aviation industry, small airports and all but the largest communities nationwide.
• Sen. Moran spoke on the Senate floor in September of 2017 about the importance of long-term FAA reauthorizations. His remarks can be viewed here.

#