Bipartisan Group Forms To Champion GA In The Senate

The NBAA and GAMA Tuesday applauded Sens. Mark Begich (D-AK) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) for forming a General Aviation Caucus and encouraging colleagues to join. NBAA also commends Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sam Bowback (R-KS) and James Inhofe (R-OK) for becoming caucus members.
 
"NBAA is delighted at the formation of this caucus, in recognition of the value provided by all of general aviation, including business aviation," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "We look forward to working with everyone involved with the caucus to promote policies that help all general aviation continue to provide value in every state across the country."
 
In a "Dear Colleague" letter sent yesterday by Sens. Begich and Johanns to their fellow lawmakers, the two note that "the goal of the Senate General Aviation Caucus is to work with pilots, aircraft owners, the aviation industry, and relevant government agencies to insure a safe and vibrant environment exists for GA in our country."

The letter goes on to point out the value of general aviation in generating jobs, providing transportation to small towns and communities that are often without airline service, and performing an essential role in the nation's economy. These points are all central themes of No Plane No Gain, an industry advocacy campaign, jointly sponsored by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which focuses on educating policymakers and opinion leaders about the value of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities across the U.S.

GAMA also supported the move. "I applaud Senator Begich (D-AK) and Senator Johanns (R-NE) for launching the Senate GA Caucus," said GAMA President and CEO, Pete Bunce.  "As an industry that contributes more than $150 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports more than 1.2 million American jobs, general aviation is a significant part of our transportation system and this caucus will provide an excellent forum to bring members and staff together to discuss the major issues facing our community.  We truly appreciate the leadership efforts of Senator Begich and Senator Johanns to bring general aviation issues to the attention of the Senate and we look forward to supporting their work."

On his senate website, Inhofe, a pilot with over 10,000 hours in his logbook, said “As a pilot and longtime friend of the general aviation community, I am extremely pleased by the formation of the Senate General Aviation Caucus. Many significant issues affecting the GA community will be debated this Congress, and the formation of this caucus should assure the aviation community that they have advocates in the United States Senate. I’d like to thank Senators Begich and Johanns for their leadership, and look forward to working closely with them on issues that are important to general aviation.”

FMI: www.nbaa.org