Lisa Sutherland Will Work As Lobbyist Against User Fees

As required by a 1995 ethics law, former US Senate Commerce Committee staff director Lisa Sutherland has registered with Congress, informing the body that she's going to work in the private sector as a lobbyist.

Her job? Working for the National Business Aviation Association to battle user fees.

Sutherland served on the committee when it was chaired by GOP Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, according to The Associated Press.

As ANN reported, Stevens made headlines recently when he cast the tiebreaking vote in favor of keeping one such fee on the Senate's Aviation Investment and Modernization Act of 2007, though he also tucked a fee exemption for some Alaskan pilots in the bill that was approved May 17.

While the House of Representatives has largely rejected the position of the airline industry that the FAA needs a user-fee funding mechanism to move forward with a Next-Generation Air Traffic Control System, the Senate has been more sympathetic.

A new FAA authorization bill is needed by the end of September, when the current one expires.

The Washington-based advocacy group represents more than 8,000 operators of private jets and other aircraft. Members of NBAA include discount retailer Target, health insurer Humana, and IBM.

FMI: www.nbaa.org