NBAA Applauds Graves, Veasey Appointments as House GA Caucus Chairs

Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org

Washington, DC, Jan. 23, 2015 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed the announcement that U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-6-MO) and Marc Veasey (D-33-TX) will serve as co-chairs of the House of Representatives GA Caucus for the 114th Congress.

The two representatives were members of the House GA Caucus during the 113th Congress, and Graves is returning as House GA Caucus co-chair, a position he held during that congressional session.

The GA Caucuses were formed in 2009 to inform members of Congress and their staff about the importance of GA to the nation’s economy and transportation system. In the 113th Congress, the House GA Caucus had nearly 250 members, making it among the largest caucuses in the House of Representatives, while the Senate Caucus had 41 members.

“Rep. Graves has been a steadfast advocate for the entire GA community, including the entrepreneurs and companies that rely on aircraft for business reasons,” said Dick Doubrava, NBAA vice president of government affairs. “Rep. Veasey has also been an important ally, who has a first-hand appreciation for the industry’s importance, given its presence in his home state.”

Christa Fornarotto, NBAA vice president of government affairs, added: “Reps. Graves and Veasey will make a very effective team in heading up the caucus, and as a new congressional session gets underway, we’re eager to do all we can to support their work to promote the importance of general aviation.”

Returning House GA Caucus co-chair Graves is also member of the House Transportation Committee and its aviation subcommittee. He has continually opposed per-flight user fees for general aviation, and has also focused on pilot and maintenance technician shortages, spending allocations for the Aviation Trust Fund, and controversial aircraft searches by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Graves was a keynote speaker at NBAA’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in 2013, and has been featured in NBAA’s bi-monthly magazine, Business Aviation Insider, about his work to support general aviation. Read a Business Aviation Insider magazine interview with Rep. Sam Graves.

Veasey was elected to the Texas Legislature in 2004, where he served four consecutive terms.  He joined the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2013, and was a strong advocate for the aviation industry, both as a member of the GA Caucus in the 113th Congress, and as a member of the House Science and Technology Committee. He has reported that general aviation is responsible for some 50,000 jobs in Texas. 

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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 10,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.

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