WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced his support for the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and Airport Airway Trust Fund (Senate Amendment 3452) because it contains an agreement he helped negotiate, removing a proposed user fee for general aviation (GA).

In 2007, Senator Roberts led the effort to eliminate a general aviation user fee during the Senate Finance Committee’s markup of the Trust Fund.

In 2008, following heated debate within the Senate Commerce Committee about the proposed fee on small aircraft owners, Roberts negotiated with colleagues on the Commerce Committee to eliminate the idea entirely. When the Commerce Committee approved this year’s language, the 2008 negotiation remained intact.

Senator Roberts today made the following remarks on the Senate floor:

"This agreement represents the true meaning of the word compromise and shows what is possible when we roll up our sleeves and work together," Roberts said.

"In 2006, at my invitation, then Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters joined me, Congressman Todd Tiahrt, local officials and representatives from our aviation businesses in Wichita for a round table discussion about the importance of aviation to Kansas.

"We then toured Cessna’s manufacturing lines to see first hand an example of the great work of Kansans who build over 50 percent of the world’s General Aviation aircraft.

"Reauthorizing the FAA and the Airport and Airway Trust fund is not only a top national priority, but also a top Kansas priority.

"When we tried to pass this bill two years ago, about 40,000 employees in Wichita and the surrounding counties made their living building planes, manufacturing parts and servicing aviation.

"Unfortunately due to rough economic conditions, that number has dropped to just over 25,000.

"Kansas is home to nearly 3,200 aviation and manufacturing businesses, including Cessna, Hawker-Beechcraft, Bombardier-Learjet, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, Garmin and Honeywell, just to name a few.

"However, aviation isn’t simply an economic engine in Kansas. It’s a part of our history, our way of life and most importantly, part of our future. It’s an example of our entrepreneurial spirit.

"Throughout this debate, GA has been called to increase its contribution to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to help pay for the modernization of our Air Traffic Control system.

"All along the way, GA has stepped up to the plate and agreed to help pay for the necessary increases to move our aviation infrastructure into next generation technology.

"I cannot recall a time when an industry has come to me and said, ‘We want to help and are willing to support an increase in our taxes to do so.’ But that is exactly what the GA community did.

"Their only request has been that they be able to pay through the current efficient and effective tax structure of the fuel tax.

"The agreement reached between the Finance and Commerce committees respects this request and allows GA to be part of the modernization solution without creating a new bureaucracy or additional red tape.

"This raises an additional $113 million dedicated to updating Air Traffic Control technology that will increase safety and decrease congestion.

"At the same time, commercial airlines and passengers are held harmless from tax increases.

"Again, I’m pleased that this agreement recognizes the value of both commercial aviation and General Aviation to our nation’s transportation system.

"Madam President, I realize there have been strong feelings on both sides of this debate.

"My goals as we drafted this bill were clear: Ensure that our Air Traffic Control system is upgraded and remains safe for all passengers and aircraft; and, Protect the General Aviation community and Kansas jobs, which would have been threatened by a new user fee.

"This legislation represents the best of bipartisan compromise in a real effort to make our skies safer. I am proud to be a part of this compromise, as are the tens of thousands of workers employed in Kansas in aviation manufacturing.

"Kansas is -- has always been -- and remains -- the air capital of the world under this agreement. I thank my colleagues for helping us reach a compromise that will maintain our world standing.

"Madam President, I’m hopeful the Senate will continue to work in this spirit of bipartisanship on this bill, so we can quickly move to a conference committee and eventually have a bill signed into law before the current program expires."

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

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