Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I am here to speak and once again highlight the importance of aviation to my State, to the country, and to the world, but also to point out the significance of the 5-year FAA reauthorization bill the Senate passed last week. I have come to the floor many times on this topic.

I am pleased to be here today to tell about the many wins that are included in this legislation. They are beneficial to the country, and they are certainly beneficial to my home State.

I am most pleased to highlight the fact that this legislation does not include--excluded from this legislation are any efforts to privatize our Nation's air traffic control system.

Kansas is the air capital of the world and for good reason. Kansans have built three out of every four general aviation aircraft since the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk. Today, over 40,000 Kansans make a living manufacturing, operating, and servicing the world's highest quality airplanes. I cannot overstate the importance of this reauthorization and the stability it provides to the aviation community.

We are doing something that we have been unable to do for years: a long-term FAA reauthorization. In the ongoing efforts to pass the long- term bill, Republicans and Democrats in both Chambers of Congress have found common ground and consensus among the entire aviation community on a wide range of important issues. The chairman of the Commerce Committee, Senator Thune from South Dakota, as well as the ranking member, Senator Nelson from Florida, deserve credit for the bipartisan manner in which they have worked through the FAA reauthorization process in recent years and their efforts to negotiate a final piece of legislation with the House that was strong enough to receive 93 votes in the Senate.

I am pleased that included in this legislation are numerous provisions that I have introduced and supported and advocated for since the reauthorization process began, and I look forward to sharing these accomplishments in short fashion. I thank the many aviation and aerospace leaders in my State for informing my work on this topic.

First, the FAA reauthorization bolsters FAA manufacturing by streamlining the aircraft certification process.

With the short amount of time before a vote, I will highlight these for the Record.

In addition, it authorizes the FAA Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials at Wichita State University. This research has played a critical role in the evolution and integration of aircraft materials and technologies by providing valuable research to validate the safety and integrity of new aircraft to the general public.

This bill helps close the skills gap for the aviation workforce. Senator Inhofe and I have worked to provide legislation to create a pilot program within the FAA through which grants would be authorized to support tech education and career development. The grants would encourage collaboration between businesses, schools, and local governments, and these entities would develop innovative workforce programs to help close the skill gap in the aerospace industry.

The FAA Reauthorization Act reduces regulatory barriers for educational use of drones--unmanned aerial vehicles or systems. Last Congress, I was co-lead on this legislation with Senator Peters of Michigan to reduce barriers for the use of small UASs at institutions of higher education. This bill accelerates the safe integration of innovative UAS technology, another significant development.

This legislation strengthens the Federal Contract Tower Program. Kansas is home to eight air traffic control towers that participate in FAA's FCT Program, which provides important safety services at small airports nationwide in a cost-effective manner that saves the taxpayers $200 million annually. This FAA reauthorization includes several reforms that strengthen the Contract Tower Program, and I am pleased to be able to report that.

It provides access and flexibility for additional airport construction funding. Again, this is something that is important in all of our communities that have an airport. How do we make certain that we have the latest infrastructure available for safe flights to and from our airports?

It improves child safety on commercial airlines, legislation that Senator Schatz from Hawaii and I introduced to advance the safety of children who fly with their parents.

This bill reauthorizes the FAA's Essential Air Service Program, connecting rural airports to the national system. That is something which is important to many of us who represent rural States.

It safeguards small airports in the event of sudden loss of commercial service.

Last Congress, I sponsored the Small Airport Regulatory Relief Act that is included in this legislation. It is to make certain that certain airports, such as the Hays Regional Airport and the Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport, would not lose Federal Airport Improvement Program funding due to inconsistent commercial service through no fault of their own.

Unfortunately, regional airlines continue to struggle because of a lack of pilots. There is a pilot shortage, and our airports and the traveling public ought not be damaged as a result of the inability of the airlines to hire a sufficient number of airline pilots.

It also increases the fairness and reduces regulation for general aviation projects and activities. This is legislation that was originally introduced, which I am a sponsor of, called the FLIGHT Act. It effectively targets AIP funding to general aviation airports and provides those airports with flexibility on their use of passenger facility charges. It has a provision that fosters the exchange of aircraft through fair regulatory treatment in airplane joint ownership--again, another small but important development. It includes provisions that preserve the Contract Weather Observers Program, something that was at risk over the last several years.

There are many things to highlight in this legislation. I would also point out that it has provisions to help provide for talented women in the aviation workforce and facilitate their recruitment. Women currently comprise only 4 percent of flight engineers, 6 percent of pilots, and 26 percent of air traffic controllers, representing a huge untapped pool for talent in the aviation industry.

I am grateful to my colleagues for coming together and creating this compromise bill that will have a positive and immediate effect upon the economy and the Kansas aviation community. It is a good day for the Senate, it is a good day for Congress, it is a good day for the country, and it is especially a good day for me and for Kansans.

NOMINATION OF JEFFREY CLARK

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, Mr. Clark's nomination is yet another example of the Trump administration nominating individuals to lead government offices whose missions they have opposed.

The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice is uniquely charged with the ``stewardship of the nation's natural resources and public lands.'' Yet, in the face of the overwhelming evidence of climate change, Mr. Clark says the science is debatable. It isn't, and this is not the time to have someone in this position who refuses to acknowledge facts and confront the costs and risks of inaction.

In addition, like many Trump nominees, Mr. Clark is skeptical of the longstanding Chevron doctrine which states that courts must give deference to agency regulations because agencies are staffed with subject matter experts and that judges, who are only supposed to interpret the law, are not qualified to substitute their opinions. Large corporate polluters frequently challenge EPA regulations designed to safeguard our waters, endangered species, and natural resources, and we need a person in this position who will side with the scientists and public health experts, not big polluters.

Americans deserve an associate attorney who is committed to protecting their interests and not big-monied special interests. I do not believe that Mr. Clark is that person, and I will be voting against his nomination.

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