General Aviation Caucus starts up in Congress

ScottM

ScottM

Taxi to Parking
Joined
Jul 19, 2005
Messages
42,530
Location
Variable, but somewhere on earth
Display Name
Display name:
iBazinga!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23152.html

Cool beans!

This is how you get stuff done, by lobbying effectively.
When lobbyists look for friends in Congress, they can often find like-minded lawmakers in caucuses they have formed to promote their issues — everything from port security to biotechnology.

But when the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association launched a lobbying campaign promoting general aviation, there was no caucus to tap. So association officials did the next best thing: They helped build one.

The House General Aviation Caucus was formed in April by Reps. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and now boasts about 50 members.

“As a pilot, I have seen firsthand the critical role that general aviation plays in creating jobs and bolstering the local economy in rural communities across America,” Boyd said. “This bipartisan caucus is an important tool for raising awareness of general aviation, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to keep general aviation strong.”

​
Click to expand...


The issue that raised this up was, you guessed it, User Fees
The association launched a multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign earlier this year when a footnote in President Barack Obama’s budget summary proposed replacing aviation excise taxes with user fees, a change that could cost aircraft owners an estimated $9 billion a year.




“At a time when the aviation community is struggling, this would be a real boogie,” Fuller said. “I don’t think the Obama administration is out to somehow do in aviation in this country. I just don’t think they understand the consequences of some of these actions.”




The good news, Fuller said, is that lawmakers seem to have little appetite to include user fees in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill currently before Congress. But the association is still wary of the administration’s proposal.

​
Click to expand...
Lets hope or maybe rather we should push them, to also take up some of the onerous security issues we are facing.
​
 
smigaldi said:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23152.html

Cool beans!

This is how you get stuff done, by lobbying effectively.


The issue that raised this up was, you guessed it, User Fees

Lets hope or maybe rather we should push them, to also take up some of the onerous security issues we are facing.
[/color][/left]
Click to expand...

That is encoraging news! Like it or not lobbys do get things done. I did like the part about the "unintended consequences"! AOPA has the right idea here.

Gary
 
This is very exciting, and I'm glad to see that under new leadership, AOPA is finally starting to get some clout back.

Of course....it was user fees that spawned it...
 
And lucky for me, Ehlers is my rep.
 
Sen. Durbin said the bank lobby was the most powerful force in congress, which is how they got such as TARP passed with "We know better than all of our pesky constituents" and bankruptcy not discharging credit card debt.

That they new credit card bill got through showed that congress was showing some fear.

The reps are listening to the lobbyists walking the halls outside their office, not the voters or citizens who are elsewhere. We need to be there. AOPA PAC was there when needed.
 
smigaldi said:
You thinking of maybe re-upping?
Click to expand...

Very possibly. It is refreshing to see that lameduck Boyer sitting on his fatcat ranch in Texas now, leaving the important work to those that still have a passion for it.

I dunno. It is a tough call. Its not much money, but its the principle. Do I want to fund them, telling them I now support their direction or not....we'll see.
 
Phil's in Texas?
 
Barrow, John (D-GA)
Bartlett, Roscoe (R-MD)
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)
Berry, Marion (D-AR)
Bono Mack, Mary (R-CA)
Boswell, Leonard (D-IA)
Boyd, Allen (D-FL.), Co-Chair
Burgess, Michael (R-TX)
Carnahan, Russ (D-MO)
Coble, Howard (R-NC)
DeFazio, Peter (D-OR)
Dent, Charles (R-PA)
Duncan, John (R-TN)
Edwards, Chet (D-TX)
Etheridge, Bob (D-NC)
Ehlers, Vernon (R-MI), Co-Chair
Fallin, Mary (R-OK.)
Graves, Sam (R-MO)
Guthrie, Brett (R-KY)
Issa, Darrell (R-CA)
Kline, John (R-MN)
Lee, Chris (R-NY)
LoBiondo, Frank (R-NJ)
Lynch, Stephen F. (D-MA)
Loebsack, David (D-IA)
Mack, Connie (R-FL)
Massa, Eric (D-NY)
Manzullo, David (R-IL)
Miller, Candice (R-MI)
Minnick, Walt (D-ID)
Moran, Jerry (R-KS)
Neugebauer, Randy (R-TX)
Norton, Eleanor Holmes (D-DC)
Oberstar, James (D-MN)
Peterson, Collin (D-MN)
Petri, Thomas (R-WI)
Pomeroy, Earl (R-ND)
Ross, Mike (D-AR)
Salazar, John (D-AR)
Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA)
Schauer, Mark (D-MI)
Shadegg, John (R-AZ)
Tiahrt, Todd (R-KS)
Tiberi, Patrick (R-OH)
Upton, Fred (R-MI)
Young, Don (R-AK)
 
WOW! This is the most important idea thats been floated in quite some time, regarding a positive move for GA!

I guess it's time to jot a note to the Reps from Colorado, and get them onboard with this! So far, I don't see a single one from CO on the list Peggy put up!

After all, what would happen if Centennial (APA) (the #2 most heavily trafficked GA airport in the country) or Rocky Mtn Metro (BJC) were to have most of their Base Customers move off to other airports, or just disappear altogether?
 
AuntPeggy said:
Barrow, John (D-GA)

Manzullo, David (R-IL)
Click to expand...
It is Don Mazullo actually and he is an empty shirt and my representative. I have worked with him on several bills. He has voted against his own legislation on numerous occasions when he was told to by party leadership. I would not expect him to do anything useful for GA. He has been in office for many years and has no significant committee appointments. But when I have by twice a year meetings with him and his staff I will take some time to bring up GA.
 
Front Range (KFTG) is in Colorado 7th - Perlmutter
Metro [Jeffco] (KBJC) is in Colorado 2nd - Jared Polis
Centennial (KAPA) is in Colorado 6th - Mike Coffman
 
Well, my representative isn't on there, so I eMailed him and told him I wanted him to join. We'll see what he says.
 
Oberstar, James (D-MN) :eek:

Isn't this the guy Bruce keeps worrying about when trying to fix stuff? Interesting that he's on the list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top