Congress Weighs in on FAA Grant Implementation Delays

On Aug. 31, House and Senate allies urged FAA and DOT leaders to rapidly implement the aviation maintenance and pilot workforce grant programs created by Sec. 625 of the 2018 FAA reauthorization law.
 
The Senate letter was led by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who were joined by Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Angus King (I-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The House letter was coordinated by Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), who were joined by 34 of their colleagues, including T&I Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-La.)
 
"Given the broad, bipartisan support for the grant programs on Capitol Hill, and among schools, industry, and labor, we are disappointed that they are not yet operating," said the Senators in their letter to the Administration. "These important programs have been authorized for almost two years, and there is significant interest by stakeholders to establish them.  With the end of fiscal year fast approaching, we strongly encourage you to get both grant programs up and running in the coming weeks."
 
Get an update from FAA officials on the status of the grant program at ATEC's annual conference, brought to you in an online format Sept. 14-18.

SENATE LETTER

HOUSE LETTER