Peter DeFazio

Well, I just want to say that was an excellent--and you made an excellent point, which is there is two sides.

That is a win-win, in my book, and why most leading free-market libertarian and conservative organizations have supported this approach.

PFCs are a consumer tax, and the traveling consumers are already punishingly taxed.

I would suggest--and at the future I am going to probably not allow people to read testimony--would be to summarize your best points and, if possible, respond to points that others have made or are going to make.

I am very encouraged that Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves are holding this hearing today to lead our country forward on addressing airport infrastructure needs.

I thank the gentleman for his brevity.

I hope we can work in a bipartisan manner this Congress to find a path forward on airport infrastructure investment.

I extend an invitation to any current or former FAA or Boeing employees who have concerns to please feel safe coming forward.

Today, we are sending a bipartisan letter to the FAA urging the agency to engage an independent, third-party review of Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX.

Congress must address this unfinished business and provide the necessary investments and financing tools to update aging facilities.

The committee will come to order. I ask unanimous consent the chair be authorized to declare recesses during today's hearing.

On March 19, 2019, Chairman DeFazio and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen asked DOT IG to investigate the certification process for the Boeing 737 MAX.

On March 13, 2019, Chairman Peter A. DeFazio and Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Rick Larsen launched an investigation by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure into the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX.

Unfortunately, inadequate federal investment in America's travel infrastructure has increased congestion across all modes of transportation.

Let me be clear--this is the opposite of raising real revenue.

The hearing demonstrated once again that there is near unanimous support among stakeholders for finding real revenues.

When we get too close to the wire on passing an authorization--or when the amount or availability of Federal funding becomes uncertain with Continuing Resolutions and government shutdowns--it has real effects on stalling highway and…

The President's budget, which again proposes, you know, cuts pretty much across the board in transportation

We must find a solution immediately to a very real and very looming funding crisis in order to make reauthorization possible.

It is going to be the first 21st-century authorization, and it will be different than the repetitive things we have done, building on the Eisenhower legacy.

I did, after a long battle, get a provision in the bill that says any additional real funds allocated by Congress will immediately flow through the policies in this bill.

Talks about the fairy dust of leveraging $200 billion of Federal money into $1 trillion of investment, something we all know is impossible.

Travel generates $1.1 trillion in direct spending, produces $2.5 trillion in total economic output and supports 15.7 million--or one out of every 10--American jobs.

Hopefully, we can not only reauthorize the SRF, but look at other ways that we can help communities that are very low income or disadvantaged in other ways to get what I think I would agree with the panel should be a right, a right not to…

It was a great investment by the Federal Government, and other communities certainly need that partnership.