Pair Will Work To Recruit Additional Members, Promote GA On Capitol Hill

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) will take the reins of the bipartisan Senate General Aviation (GA) Caucus in the 114th Congress.

As co-chairs, Boozman (pictured, left) and Manchin (right) will work to recruit members to the caucus and guide the organization as they work to inform their Senate colleagues about GA’s important contributions to the nation's economy and transportation system.

“In Arkansas, general aviation airports support more than $500 million annually in economic activity, and nearly 10,000 Arkansans work in aviation and aerospace manufacturing – many of them in the general aviation sector. If you crunch the numbers, most of our colleagues would have a similar story to tell. For that reason, I am excited to work with Senator Manchin to promote general aviation and share its importance with our colleagues,” said Boozman.

“General aviation makes a tremendous impact on West Virginia’s economy and on our nation as a whole,” Senator Manchin said. “The Mountain State’s aviation system alone supports more than 11,000 jobs in the state, and contributes about $616 million to our economy. As a pilot myself, it has always been a top priority of mine to address the unique challenges faced by the general aviation sector, and to foster business growth and job creation through this growing industry. It is a privilege to join Senator Boozman as a leader of the General Aviation Caucus, and I look forward to promoting the importance of general aviation in the 114th Congress.”

With revenue of more than $150 billion annually, more than 1.3 million jobs and over 5,000 available airports from which to operate, GA contributes greatly to the U.S. economy and plays a vital role in our nation’s transportation system.

GA is defined as all non-military flying except scheduled passenger airlines. GA aircraft operate for a number of diverse reasons including package delivery, emergency medical evacuation, agricultural aviation and much more.

The Senate General Aviation Caucus co-chairs in the 113th Congress—Democrat Mark Begich of Alaska and Republican Mike Johanns of Nebraska—are no longer serving in the Senate.

GAMA welcomed the announcement in a prepared statement.

“GAMA is extremely pleased that Senators Boozman and Manchin have taken on this important role in the new Congress as they seek to share with all Senators the importance of general aviation, and particularly general aviation manufacturing, to the U.S. economy and jobs,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “Senator Boozman has been a strong advocate for the general aviation community, including introducing the third-class medical bill last year and working closely with manufacturers in Arkansas. Senator Manchin is an aviator who understands firsthand the opportunities and challenges faced by those in the general aviation sector. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with them and supporting both senators in their new roles.”

FMI: www.boozman.senate.gov, www.manchin.senate.gov