On the recordFebruary 17, 2011
I rise today to speak in support of Brown-Portman No. 105. This is the first of what I imagine will be many bills and amendments my colleague Senator Portman and I will be working on together. What the Brown-Portman amendment does is twofold: it paves the way for further research and development of unmanned aerial systems into our national airspace and would designate six sites across the country to further test these new technologies. This is clearly needed and I appreciate the work of Senator Rockefeller, Senator Hutchison, and committee staff on the issue. UASs are a growing and important sector of the aviation industry that is critical to our economy--whether it is protecting our men and women serving in Afghanistan, patrolling our border, or better monitoring our Nation's agricultural sector. As further research and development is conducted, other scientific, environmental, and law enforcement uses will become more standard. In Ohio, cutting edge work is already being done on UASs: at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Springfield National Guard Base, and NASA Glenn in Cleveland. There is great potential in this sector for job creation and I am confident Ohio will continue its role as the nation's leader in aviation and aeronautics manufacturing and R&D as it relates to UASs. I thank my colleagues for their support.
