Governor Brownback, Congressman Pompeo, Industry Leaders Gather To Send The Message

Joined by elected, union and business leaders, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Fourth District Congressman Mike Pompeo demanded that President Barack Obama support Kansas jobs and stop his attack on the aviation industry during a news conference Thursday at the National Center for Aviation Training in Sedgwick County.

 
Governor Brownback

On multiple occasions President Obama has used business jets as political pawns by erroneously claiming that allowing companies to deduct the cost of buying an aircraft from their taxable income jeopardizes education funding, medical research and public safety.

General aviation is one of our state’s – and indeed, our country’s – leading industries, employing more than a million Americans and generating $150 billion in revenue annually. We were pleased when U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood came to Wichita earlier this year to recognize the importance and sing the praises of the aviation industry,” Governor Brownback said.  “That’s why it is alarming that President Obama and his administration seem to continue to search for ways to ground this important industry.  We call on the President to instead focus on supporting and growing these high-skilled, high-wage jobs and stop his attack on the aviation industry.”
 
Since the U.S. House of Representatives is in session this week voting on Cut, Cap and Balance and continuing negotiations over the debt ceiling, Congressman Pompeo joined the news conference via live video stream. “The President has continued to single out and demonize the General Aviation community in Wichita, KS – The Air Capital of the World.  Not only does the GA industry support 1.2 million jobs in KS and throughout America, but it adds $150 billion to our economy.  In fact, the President’s own corporate jet (Air Force One) is built and serviced by the hard-working people of Wichita.  His class warfare rhetoric and purely political attacks on aviation workers are unwelcome and unhelpful at a time when the economy is on its knees.  I sent a letter to the President inviting him to South Central Kansas to see this essential sector of our economy at work.  This week, I reiterate my call for him to witness our industry firsthand and stop the job-killing attacks,” said Congressman Pompeo (KS-04).

Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh as well as International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, (IAMAW) AFL-CIO, District 70 President Steve Rooney, SPEEA Midwest Director Bob Brewer, and Wichita Chamber Chair Lynn Nichols also spoke at the news conference about their concerns regarding the President’s attacks on the aviation industry.

FMI: https://governor.ks.gov