Political Quotes

“I would like to thank the chairman for yielding time to speak today on this legislation. I also want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for his excellent leadership that he has shown this Congress and previous Congresses. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve on a committee that has accomplished so much. Today I want to speak briefly on an important provision of this reauthorization. As an airman myself, I have always stood up for the rights of general aviation pilots. Section 2307 in this legislation, which is based on my bill, the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act, will make operating a private aircraft easier and more common sense for private pilots. Currently, pilots must get an unnecessary, outdated medical examination from a government-approved physician as often as once a year. Section 2307 would change that requirement so that a pilot can simply visit his family physician once every 4 years. Although this doesn't go as far as is ultimately needed to get rid of 20th century red tape while maintaining safety in the 21st century, it is real progress for aviators. This change is strongly supported by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, of which I am a proud member, and has a strong bipartisan list of cosponsors. I thank, again, Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their continued leadership on this and other aviation issues.…”