U.S. Senator Brownback today spoke in favor of the Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act. The bill is the pending business before the Senate and is scheduled for a vote on Monday.
“The aviation industry remains one of the most important economic sectors in my home state of Kansas, and passage of this bipartisan legislation is critical for giving aviation companies the necessary funding and regulatory certainty to move forward with a number of important initiatives,” stated Brownback. “Specifically, this bill includes provisions to implement Next Gen technology, maintain inspection procedures at foreign repair stations formulated through agreements between the United States and the European Union; increases funding for the Essential Air Service Program; expands passenger rights; and provides increased federal support for small airports. This is a good bill for general aviation and the aviation industry as a whole.”
The Aviation Administration Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for two years. The House already passed an FAA reauthorization bill, but it included provisions to specifically punish Fed Ex for not having a fully unionized work force and reward their competitors. The House bill would force Fed Ex to be subject to the National Labor Relations Act, instead of the Railway Labor Act, which governs airlines and which Fed Ex has been operating under since they began nearly 40 years ago.
Brownback continued, “While this important piece of legislation does not include language imposing disproportionate and onerous user fees on the general aviation industry, the House version includes a provision that would require FedEx to be governed by the National Labor Relations Act. This provision would be an affront to the free market business model of FedEx and a giveaway to the unions. Throughout my career in Congress, I have always stood firm against imposing restrictive regulations on business, and I will work diligently to ensure that this troublesome provision is not included in final bill coming out of Conference.”
