Hearing

Witness List:

• Mr. Jason Terreri, Executive Director, Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, on behalf of the Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) | Witness Testimony
• Mr. Adam Woodworth, Chief Executive Officer, Wing | Witness Testimony
• Mr. Pete Bunce, President & Chief Executive Officer, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) | Witness Testimony
• Mr. Greg Regan, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) | Witness Testimony

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves

It is imperative that we conduct rigorous oversight of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to ensure the FAA follows the letter of the law and is held accountable for meeting the key deadlines Congress set.

I look forward to hearing from each of our witnesses on their perspective of the FAA’s efforts to implement the new aviation law, as we work together to advance American aviation.

Everyone here knows I could spend more than my fair share of time identifying late provisions and talking at lengths about how FAA should do its job, but I want to use my time to recognize that today is my colleague’s, Chairman Garret Graves’, last hearing at the Committee. 

Garret’s work on this committee, especially his leadership in helping craft the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, has solidified his legacy as a staunch advocate for aviation. Over this Congress, he has worked to advance solutions that propel new technologies, improve the passenger experience for all travelers, and bolster the aviation workforce.

Anyone who works with Garret and his team to push a bill forward knows that Garret gives it his all and then some to get the job done. His efforts were instrumental in getting this bill over the finish line, and I am grateful for his partnership and friendship over the years.

Garret, thank you for your work on the Committee and Subcommittee, and I look forward to seeing what you do next.

Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves

I want to start off by thanking all the witnesses here today and our members for the extraordinary work that was done by this subcommittee this Congress, and specifically on the FAA Reauthorization Act. It is one of the greatest achievements of the 118^th Congress and demonstrates how this place is supposed to work. Big shout out to Chairman Sam Graves, Ranking Member Rick Larsen, and my good friend, Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen.

Our original legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 351 to 69, and the final product we worked on with the Senate passed 387 to 26. When we started this, there was an agreement among all four corners that we would pursue this effort in a bipartisan way. Our detractors told us, things like: “The margins are too narrow, you can never make it bipartisan,” “How many years of extensions should we expect?”, or “There’s too much to do, you’ll never be able to address all the needs.” But we got to work anyway, and we were successful.

But, having it written in law is only the first step. The next thing is actually having the FAA abide by the law, and have the FAA stick with the timelines and deadlines we have identified in this legislation because all of us here can tell stories about the FAA, the Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and many other agencies that completely ignore the laws or implement them in ways that are not in line with the way Congress intended. That's why it is critical and why we are having this hearing today. 

This is my final hearing as Subcommittee Chair, and I want to emphasize some points on implementation of the bill that I hope members will carry forward into the 119th Congress and beyond.

First off, it’s critical for American leadership and aviation and FAA to better step up and lead on the integration of new aviation technology.  Our aviation leadership in the past is no guarantee of our leadership in the future. And too often the FAA spends too much time looking for every reason to say “no” when it actually has every reason to say “yes.” Other countries sense a weakness right now; they are circling like vultures to permanently shut this country out of a golden era of aviation. Our bill provides a road map to respond to this challenge, but unless the FAA starts the car, a road map is only that: a road map. 

Second, we have to put average Americans, the passengers, and their experience interacting with the aviation system at the heart of everything this subcommittee does. I talk about this at every hearing, and I will continue to do so because often I think we silo or look at only different components of the passenger experience instead of the comprehensive process. That means shining a light on the failures in acquisition, procurement, implementation, and operations of air traffic control technologies which cause so many delays and inefficiencies in the National Airspace System.

Finally, the entire Committee and our stakeholders need to hold the FAA accountable for actually implementing the law, or the accomplishments we have made will simply evaporate. I have made no secret about my frustration with the FAA for missing deadlines and failing to complete mandates for the 2018 or 2016 laws. If history is any guide, the FAA will try to resist any uncomfortable change, no matter how necessary, without robust oversight from this subcommittee and callouts from industry. We finished our victory laps in getting the bill passed; now it’s time to make sure the FAA is implementing the bill in a way that is in accordance with the letter of the law and congressional intent. 

I want to say again huge thanks to Chairman Sam Graves for trusting me with this extremely important and critical subcommittee. Thank you for your mentorship. There is not a chairman in the history of this Congress or most likely the future of this Congress that has the aviation experience or knowledge of Sam Graves. I want to give a huge shout out to my wise and passionate staff directors, Holly Woodruff Lyons and Hunter Presti, and to our team: Maggie Ayrea, Laney Copeland Allen, Will Moore, Chris Senn, Andrew Giacini, Julie Devine, Corey Sites, Jamie Hopkins, and the Committee’s Communications Director, Justin Harclerode. 

Lastly, thank you to our witnesses for being here to tell us where the FAA is doing well and where they are already falling behind to help identify priorities moving forward to ensure the FAA can carry through on the promise of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.  That will be a full time job for this subcommittee that I have no doubt will rise to the occasion and continue to do the right thing.