Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me dwell on an amendment that I offered to get through the backlog of pilots that are now well after they have been…”

“Let me dwell on an amendment that I offered to get through the backlog of pilots that are now well after they have been off for some medical reason and the backlog of getting them back into the stream of flying is taking long. We need to look at that because these are perfectly able pilots, but they are still on medical leave. I also want to ensure that we have mental health relief for our pilots, like 29-year-old Chris Daniel, who was doing well, but after the pandemic began experiencing depression. Chris' doctor suggested treatment for his depression, but as a pilot, he was too afraid to go. Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in America Aviation Act of 2023. The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act helps maintain America's gold standard in safety, fosters innovation, strengthens and diversifies the U.S. aviation workforce, and invests in resilient and sustainable infrastructure. This is an important bill that I offered an amendment to help improve through the Rules Committee, the Jackson Lee Amendment. While the Rules Committee did not make my amendment in order, it is important to highlight what it would have done and what is still needed to assist and strengthen aviation in our country.…”