AOPA, NBAA Responds to Proposed Legislation

Joining in a growing chorus of indignation, NBAA Chief Ed Bolen sent a letter to New York Congressman Ed Weiner on Friday regarding Weiner's proposed security legislation, HR 5035.

Weiner's bill would require the Transportation Security Administration to conduct the same level of passenger and baggage screening required for the scheduled airlines for every aircraft capable of carrying passengers.

"NBAA believes that if enacted, this legislation would destroy the business aviation community, force the closure of some businesses and drastically weaken business aviation’s significant contributions to the economy," wrote Bolen. "At a time when we must prioritize scarce Federal resources, the substantial investment in personnel and equipment required by HR 5035 would not significantly increase security for the nation."

The outcry against HR 5035 is unanimous among general aviation advocates. Last week, the EAA also voiced strong opposition to Weiner's bill, saying, "The extreme shortsightedness of this bill speaks for itself and completely counters the government's own security experts, who have continually stated that general aviation does not pose a significant security threat to the US."

AOPA Takes To The Halls Of Congress

On the same day Weiner released his bill, an AOPA legislative affairs staff member met with Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), a member of the House aviation subcommittee, to express opposition to the bill. Graves, a pilot and AOPA member, confirmed he would oppose the bill and made sure AOPA's staff had a copy of it, even before it was publicly available, according to a posting on the AOPA website.

AOPA says it also contacted subcommittee members Robin Hayes (R-NC) and Leonard Boswell (D-IA), both pilots and AOPA members, as well as the staff of aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chairman of the full committee. Other contacts, according to the AOPA, included Don Young (R-AK) and James Oberstar (D-MN), the ranking member.

"It was very clear from all of our contacts that there is significant opposition to this bill within the committees," said Jon Hixson, AOPA vice president of Legislative Affairs. With that kind of opposition, the AOPA said, it would be very difficult for the bill to advance.

FMI: http://web.nbaa.org/public/govt/108th/hr5035.pdf