West Ventura News

Washington, DC – On June 14, 2023, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement following the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passage of the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. The Committee-passed bill includes two pieces of legislation authored by Brownley, the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act and the Women in Aviation Advisory Board Act.

“I applaud Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for putting together a strong, comprehensive, and bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill,” said Congresswoman Brownley. 

“I greatly appreciate that this bill includes a provision I wrote to reauthorize the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB), which has been working to increase the representation of women in the aviation industry by providing the FAA, Congress, and industry with recommendations and strategies to recruit women into an aviation career. My legislation to reauthorize the WIAAB will ensure that its important work can continue – and pave the way for more women to succeed in this soaring field.

“I am also pleased that the bill includes the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act, legislation that I co-authored with Congressman Molinaro (R-NY), which will help to address safety concerns with outsourcing of aircraft repair and overhaul. The U.S. has the safest air transportation system in the world, due to our rigorous standards for safety at all levels. It is past time that we close loopholes that allow foreign repair stations to undermine our safety standards.“The FAA reauthorization bill also addresses the needs of our general aviation airports, such as the Oxnard and Camarillo airports in Ventura County. Specifically, the bill recognizes that the success of the United States aviation system is built upon a strong general aviation foundation and includes provisions to secure our aviation industry’s long-term success.

“As we bolster the strength, diversity, and security of our nation’s aviation industry, we must also recognize and address the growing need for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) infrastructure. Over the past few months, the Committee has heard from many stakeholders in the aviation community about the need to do more to make SAF available for both commercial and general aviation users. In the 117th Congress, we made good progress with the creation of new tax credits for SAF production and resources for airport infrastructure. However, I strongly believe more needs to be done to meet the needs of the aviation industry, and the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill presents a key opportunity for action in the area.

“SAF has the potential to lower fuel costs, help keep ticket prices lower for consumers, and help us lower carbon emissions from the aviation industry. Expanding SAF availability is a clear win-win-win for the industry, consumers, and our planet. So, while my amendment to expand SAF infrastructure was not adopted, I will continue to work on this important issue as the bill advances.

“Overall, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act is a good bill and showcases bipartisanship in action. It is my hope that my colleagues and I can continue to work together with our partners in the Senate to ensure that the final bill makes its way to President Biden’s desk, so that our economy, our environment, and the American people will stand to benefit from its numerous advantageous provisions.”

The bill passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 14, 2023, with a unanimous vote of 63-0. More information from the markup of H.R. 3935, including bill text and amendments approved, can be found here.

Original source can be found here.