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.