For the first time, two pilots are in command of their respective parties. Senate majority leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and minority leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) are both AOPA members, and Sen. Daschle has twice been the recipient of its Hartranft Award for his work on aviation legislation in the past. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), also a Hartranft recipient, heads up the aviation subcommittee. AOPA President Phil Boyer said this Congress will make some key decisions that will affect all pilots and he’s pleased to have “two of our own” in charge. A comprehensive aviation funding package known as FAA reauthorization will be tackled in this session as will spending bills for all manner of service improvements for pilots. The Senate wasted no time getting an aviation bill on the table. The bill to protect Chicago’s Miegs Field was introduced on the first day of the new session. That bill died in the Senate last year after having been passed by the House of Representatives. A companion bill is expected in the House soon.
Pilots In Left And Right Seat In Senate
Key Takeaways:
- For the first time, both Senate majority and minority leaders, Sen. Bill Frist and Sen. Tom Daschle, are pilots and AOPA members, which AOPA sees as beneficial for aviation policy.
- This Congress is set to tackle significant aviation legislation, including a comprehensive FAA reauthorization funding package and spending bills for pilot service improvements.
- The Senate wasted no time by reintroducing a bill to protect Chicago's Meigs Field on the first day of the new session, an issue that previously failed in the Senate.
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