Hearing

Opening remarks, as prepared, of Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Subcommittee on Aviation Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA):

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO):
I am glad the Subcommittee is focusing on implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.  This is the longest reauthorization of the FAA in more than two decades, and its passage last October was overwhelmingly bipartisan and widely praised.

Among other things, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 gives the FAA and industry much needed stability; provides steady funding for airport infrastructure across the country; allows manufacturers to get products to market on time, stay competitive, and provide millions of good-paying American jobs; and streamlines regulatory processes to encourage innovation in new technologies.

I am particularly proud of provisions in the Reauthorization that address issues important to the general aviation community, such as supporting small and rural airports through a new supplemental grant program; increasing aircraft registration renewal times from three years to seven years; commonsense changes to FAA hangar use policy related to construction of aircraft; tackling important general aviation safety issues, such as marking towers; ending FAA fees for large aviation events such as Oshkosh and Sun ‘n Fun; clarifying FAA policy related to non-profits accepting donations for living history flight experiences; promoting the streamlining and evaluation of regulations related to certificates for pilots of experimental aircraft including the restoration of an ‘all makes and models’ certificate; and supporting programs to develop the aviation workforce of the future.

It is vitally important that the workforce grant programs, training requirements, and studies directed by the law be implemented in a timely manner.

This is particularly true in the aftermath of the tragic Boeing MAX accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

There are numerous reviews and investigations underway and we are awaiting the much anticipated recommendations.  Experts are considering many factors for each accident, including aircraft certification and design, airline operations and maintenance, and pilot training and experience.

During the next seven days, the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is meeting in Montreal.  I am pleased that FAA leadership is there to meet with other regulators to discuss the MAX.  I am also pleased that one of the items to be discussed is international pilot training standards.

I understand that the United States will present a white paper on automation dependency in the cockpit.

I have said it before, but I can’t repeat it enough—the pilot is the most important safety feature in the cockpit and his or her ability to manually fly the plane when technology fails is critical to safety.

The growth of the commercial aviation industry around the world is so important to our global economy and has numerous benefits. But that growth and rapid expansion, especially in developing nations, cannot come at the expense of safety and good training.

I look forward to hearing from today’s witnesses, but it is unfortunate that we will not hear from other segments of the aviation community, such as airlines, manufacturers, airports, safety inspectors, and air traffic controllers.  So, I hope today’s hearing is just the first in a series of hearings on the law.

Subcommittee on Aviation Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA):
So often in Congress, we focus solely on either the problems of the day or what we’re going to do next and we forget to look back. 

We can’t pass laws and move on.  Signing a law is just the beginning – the process of changing things in the real world is just beginning, and implementation is everything.  Part of our job is to make sure that the laws we’ve already passed are being implemented as intended before adding new laws and new work.  At more than 400 pages and almost 360 deliverables, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 certainly gave the FAA and DOT more than enough work.

In this comprehensive law, which was developed and passed with strong bipartisan support, Congress addressed many longstanding policy debates while laying the groundwork for our aviation system’s future.  We included provisions that will improve aviation safety and help build the next generation of aviation infrastructure.  And we require various reports and studies to inform legislative and regulatory efforts in the future.

But Mr. Chairman, all those provisions, all the good bipartisan work we accomplished, and even all the reports that will inform our future efforts, all of it is for naught if the FAA doesn’t do what we directed them to do in the first place.

So Mr. Chairman, I’m glad we’re finally holding a hearing to ensure that the FAA Reauthorization is being properly implemented.  Understanding what has been accomplished and what work remains to be done will be important as we look to the future and decide what we’re going to do next.

I thank the witnesses on both panels for their participation today.  I am interested in hearing how the FAA has implemented provisions related to new entrants and new technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems.  I also want to learn the status of the numerous safety, process streamlining, and consumer protection efforts.