Rick Larsen: “This amendment would strike the requirement that the FAA administrator consider expanding the CLEEN Program, which…”

“This amendment would strike the requirement that the FAA administrator consider expanding the CLEEN Program, which stands for continuous lower energy, emission, and noise program, to new entrants. Now, I want to be clear. It doesn't necessarily mean new technologies or different kinds of technologies as much as it can also mean new companies that are looking to do the same thing but do it better. To ensure that the FAA administrator is not continually approving grants to existing companies that are already in the program who may not be succeeding, we want to be sure the FAA administrator is looking beyond the current slate of companies that are applying. In addition to that, of course, there are new entrants in the airspace. There is more projected use of even electronic aircraft. In the future, hydrogen is being looked at as a fuel for aviation--not tomorrow and maybe not in 5 years, but certainly within the next 10 to 15 years. Doing some of the early work in this field is very important, so the FAA administrator needs the authority and the freedom to do just that. This amendment is pulling back on some of the innovation that we, frankly, can only look to the government to do, so that it builds a foundation for the private sector to build upon and sometimes in this industry to take off as well. Mr. Chair, so I would ask Members to oppose this amendment.…”