Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 3578. I want to thank Chairman LoBiondo for bringing this issue to the attention of the committee and for working hard to bring it to the floor so quickly. This bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration to go through a rulemaking process if it chooses to propose and implement new pilot medical certification requirements for sleep apnea. Under current law, in order for a pilot to be certificated, every pilot is screened by an aviation medical examiner to ensure he is safe and capable of piloting an aircraft. If a pilot is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea or with any other disqualifying medical condition, that pilot must obtain a ``special issuance'' medical certificate from the FAA to keep flying. Last November, the FAA abruptly announced changes to the medical certification process as it pertains only to sleep apnea. The new policy would require all airmen with a body mass index, or BMI, of 40 or more to undergo new testing and evaluation requirements for obstructive sleep apnea in order to maintain their medical certificates. General aviation groups and pilot unions have raised concerns that the FAA's proposed policy changes could impose significant undue costs on thousands of airmen without an adequate opportunity for the public to comment on the relative safety merits of these new requirements. H.R.…”