Lamar Smith: “I thank Chairman Shuster for yielding, and I congratulate him on successfully advancing a 5-year FAA reauthorization.…”

“I thank Chairman Shuster for yielding, and I congratulate him on successfully advancing a 5-year FAA reauthorization. H.R. 302 includes the Science Committee's research and development title, the FLIGHT R&D Act. Title 7 includes our priority that 70 percent of annual FAA research and development funding be for safety research, up from less than 60 percent today. It establishes a new FAA Associate Administrator for Research and Development. And it includes the Geospatial Data Act. Another provision provides for specified aircraft operations of space support vehicles licensed under the U.S. space code. Another establishes a DOT Office of Spaceports and a national spaceport policy report. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's work on this bill. I strongly support it. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.”