[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13939-13940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            GENERAL AVIATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Pompeo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POMPEO. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to talk about how our 
President has systematically and relentlessly attacked the general 
aviation industry.
  You know, this is one of the few last great manufacturing gems left 
in America. It creates $1.2 million jobs--the gentleman before me was 
speaking about jobs--1.2 million jobs in America and $150 billion worth 
of income and a tremendous amount of exports.
  This industry is enormously important to my district, but not just my 
district, the air capital of the world, but all across the country. 
These are good jobs. These are middle class jobs. They are jobs for 
machinists and welders and riveters and managers and purchasing people 
who make some of the finest airplanes in the world.

[[Page 13940]]

  But instead of supporting the general aviation industry and welcoming 
those jobs, the President has attacked it. At the very least, he could 
just leave it alone. But this is part of his larger class warfare 
effort.
  He demonizes general aviation users. He calls them corporate fat-cat 
jet owners at every turn. But it's not impacting the folks who use 
those as business tools; it's impacting the people who build these 
airplanes. They are productive. They are working to grow their 
businesses, and they are growing jobs.
  His rhetoric kills sales of American manufactured goods and, with 
them, the jobs that are created when those airplanes are built. You 
know, he has attacked it in multiple ways.
  Most recently the Department of Transportation issued something 
called BARR. It's a program which has long ensured basic privacy rights 
for general aviation users by allowing them to opt out of being tracked 
by everybody with an Internet connection. But on August 2, the FAA 
changed that rule and said, no, now anyone with an Internet connection 
can find out and violate the privacy rights of anybody who decides to 
fly in an airplane all across the country unless they specifically opt 
out and can state a valid security threat.
  This is an unprecedented step. It will facilitate serious violations 
of privacy, and it doesn't help create jobs in America.
  I have introduced a piece of legislation called the BARR Preservation 
Act, along with Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, and I would urge my 
colleagues to support that legislation. It will create jobs in America.
  Now the President most recently announced, as part of his efforts to 
reduce the deficit, user fees on general aviation aircraft, over $100 
per flight, not to mention the enormous bureaucracy it will take to 
collect this set of taxes. At a time when America has got unemployment 
of one in six or more, it's no time to add taxes on folks who are 
trying to fly their airplane around this country to get from Topeka to 
Des Moines, to get to small towns to support American manufacturing. 
This President wants to put taxes on general aviation users.

                              {time}  1010

  Finally, let me just talk for a moment about the taxes and the 
rhetoric. Mr. President, this industry is not asking for a handout. 
This President mistakes hardworking people for folks who are looking 
for something from the Federal Government. All we ask is to be left 
alone. We don't want the bailouts that the city of Detroit received and 
that the automotive folks received. We're not asking for tax 
favoritism. All we're asking is that you respect the hardworking people 
of Kansas and all across America who build the finest airplanes in the 
world. This is, Mr. Speaker, failed leadership.
  We have $4 trillion in additional debt and a loss of 2 million jobs 
under this President. Don't give us a bailout; don't give us a handout. 
We don't want special favors. Simply leave us alone to grow and create 
good, middle class, hardworking people's jobs right in Kansas and right 
in America.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks 
to the Chair.

                          ____________________