U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, stressed the importance of including general aviation in the aviation reauthorization legislation.
In a townhall forum during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisc., Grave joined aviation leaders from across the country to talk about the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation (SGRLAA) Act, passed in House 351 to 69 on July 20. The SGRLAA act is a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation safety and infrastructure programs.
Graves, a professional pilot with an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, worked to ensure the bill included general aviation in its name.
“It was absolutely vital to me to include the first GA title in this FAA bill, because the success of our aviation system is built upon a strong GA foundation,” Graves said. “If GA in the U.S. isn’t successful, then aviation in the U.S. will not be successful. And there’s no better place than at Oshkosh, where so many from the GA community and the aviation industry gather, to hear about these issues and discuss how we can keep GA strong… I look forward to working with the Senate to see a final measure signed into law before the September 30th expiration of current FAA law.”
Industry leaders applauded the legislation.
“The future success of the general aviation community depends on stability for the FAA, so it can work with our community to plan in an orderly fashion,” EAA Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton said. “That’s why a completed reauthorization that includes GA is so important. We welcome Chairman Graves and the GA leadership group to Oshkosh, where they can talk directly with those aviators who are directly affected the most by the actions of the FAA and the federal government.”