[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. PRAMILA JAYAPAL

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2023

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3935) to 
     amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and 
     improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil 
     aviation programs, and for other purposes.

  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Chair, Congress should invest in supporting an 
aviation sector that puts people first to enhance passenger experience, 
bolster the aviation workforce, and promote safety for all. I am 
concerned that several meaningful measures proposed as amendments and 
supported in principle on both sides of the aisle, were not given fair 
consideration or debate on the floor. Although I will be voting in 
favor of this legislation, I urge the Senate to make improvements to 
the bill, including to maintain the current retirement age for pilots 
at age 65.
  Raising pilot's retirement age would put the U.S. in conflict with 
international standards, which require pilots to retire at 65. 
Commercial pilots aged 65 or older will be ineligible to fly 
internationally. Junior pilots, who have endured financially burdensome 
trainings, will be displaced by their more senior colleagues, and have 
to return to a backlog of pilot training to requalify for new roles. 
These complications will likely result in higher costs to airlines and 
increased ticket prices to consumers.
  Our Nation's premier aviation package should also include protections 
for the travelling public. The Biden Administration led the way in 
proposing measures to combat junk fees from airlines. These include 
banning family seating junk fees, requiring transparency in add-on 
fees, and generating automatic refunds for flight cancellations and 
delays within an airline's control. Taxes and fees can pad as much as 
40 percent of a ticket's cost, and the administration's proposals would 
help reduce flight costs for travelers. Instead of building off those 
protections, this bill would interrupt the administration's work 
towards establishing these important protections. It also erases 
transparency protections that have been in place for more than a decade 
regarding disclosing taxes, fees, and surcharges.
  America needs the stable, long-term funding provided by this 
reauthorization. It also needs reforms for safety, transparency, and 
workers which were excluded from the bill. I urge the Senate to address 
these shortcomings as this bill moves forward.

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