[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1087-E1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FAA EXTENSION, SAFETY, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. RICK LARSEN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2016

  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
extension to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 
This measure is the product of dedicated bipartisan work. For that, I 
thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio--and, from across the 
Capitol, Senator Thune and Senator Nelson. I am pleased that we 
included some time-sensitive and safety- and security- critical 
measures in this legislation. Passing this extension is the right thing 
to do for the safety and security of the American traveling public.
  In addition, I am pleased that the legislation directs the FAA to 
continue moving forward on safe integration of unmanned aircraft 
systems (UAS) and directs the Department of Transportation to move 
forward on a long-overdue rule to better assist disabled travelers.
  However, there are many important bipartisan provisions that 
regrettably did not make the cut. I stand by my remarks regarding the 
first extension in September as well as the extension we passed in 
March. We did not have to go down this road.
  Because of a desire to privatize the nation's air traffic control 
(ATC) system, some critical pieces of the legislation have been tied 
up.
  We could have been here on the Floor today with a long-term 
reauthorization bill that took a comprehensive approach to addressing 
the pressing needs of the FAA, aviation safety and air travel. Mr. 
Speaker, if you ask 10 aviation stakeholders to identify the area of 
the FAA most in need of reform, I would venture to say most if not all 
10 of them would say, ``certification.''
  Both the House and Senate long-term FAA bills included far-reaching 
reforms to streamline the FAA certification process that would help 
U.S. manufacturers become more competitive, expand their global 
presence and create jobs in the United States.
  The certification reforms that have bipartisan and bicameral support 
would have immediate benefits in my home state of Washington--where 
aviation manufacturing is a significant economic driver--as well as for 
the entire U.S. economy.

[[Page E1088]]

  They would improve safety by permitting manufacturers to deliver 
newer and safer technology to the market more quickly.
  Yet this legislation omits most of those reforms. That is a critical 
and unfortunate omission, in my view.
  In addition, this legislation fails to synchronize flight attendant 
rest rules with pilot rest rules. Synchronizing these rules would 
enable flight attendants to receive the rest they need and further 
improve the safety and security of the flying public.
  And while it falls outside the jurisdiction of the Transportation & 
Infrastructure Committee, I have serious concerns about expanding the 
look-back period to fifteen years for current and prospective airport 
employees.
  I said back in February, when T&I marked up a controversial long-term 
FAA reauthorization, that I feared we were in for more serial 
extensions.
  All Democrats and two Republicans voted against that bill because of 
its science experiment with air traffic control privatization. But the 
rest of the bill had strong bipartisan support, and instead of enacting 
another extension, we could be here to enact meaningful reforms that 
aviation stakeholders need.
  So it is with disappointment that I am here to support a temporary 
extension.

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