[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 15, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   APPLAUDING PASSAGE OF THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION 
                             ADMINISTRATION

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 2024

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House took 
decisive action today to reauthorize the Federal Aviation 
Administration--or FAA--by advancing H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and 
Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act. Upon enactment, this 
critically-important legislation will better protect the health and 
safety of air travelers, improve conditions for both the current and 
future aviation workforce, and make significant investments in our 
Nation's aviation infrastructure and air traffic control technologies.
  I am proud to have cast my vote in favor of H.R. 3935. This long-
overdue, bipartisan measure will modernize America's aviation system, 
advance consumer safety and protections, and prepare the next 
generation of highly qualified and diverse aviation professionals.
  For years, I have advocated for enhanced federal funding to better 
recruit, retain, and advance underrepresented populations in the 
aviation industry. To that end, I applaud the bill's inclusion of $60 
million in annual funding to the FAA to bolster the pool of pilots, 
aviation maintenance professionals, and manufacturing workers in the 
talent pipeline. Of the $60 million provided, H.R. 3935 requires that 
20 percent of this annual funding be designated for the Willa Brown 
Aviation Program, which introduces and trains underserved communities 
in various aviation careers. I thank my colleague, Rep. Hank Johnson, 
for his leadership on this provision. I'm also pleased to see that the 
reauthorization bill directs the FAA to engage and partner with 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving 
Institutions to advance awareness of aviation-related education 
programs and careers, a recommendation I made in my testimony before 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
  The bill's historic investment in our country's airports with, $4 
billion in annual funding for the Airport Improvement Program, will 
help modernize public-use airports, such as Midway and O'Hare airports 
in Chicago, while simultaneously spurring economic growth and 
employment opportunities for many Chicagoland residents and businesses. 
I praise the host of policy reforms and robust protections for air 
travelers and consumers, like the Section 503 requirement that airlines 
refund passengers on significantly delayed or cancelled flights and a 
new mandate that airlines permit passengers to sit next to their young 
child when practical and at no cost. Inclusion of these important and 
long-overdue consumer protections in the FAA reauthorization bill 
further explains why the measure enjoys such widespread bi-partisan 
support in Congress and beyond.
  I commend House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman 
Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for their hard work to deliver this 
comprehensive and bicameral bill to reauthorize the FAA, helping ensure 
that the U.S. remains a global leader in aviation safety and 
innovation.

                          ____________________