Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Washington, DC, Jan. 23, 2015 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today applauded the announcement that U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) will serve as co-chairmen of the bipartisan U.S. Senate General Aviation (GA) Caucus for the 114th Congress.
Both lawmakers were members of the GA Caucus during the 113th Congress. In 2009, GA Caucuses were formed in both the Senate and House of Representatives to inform members of Congress and their staff about the importance of GA to the nation’s economy and transportation system. The Senate Caucus had 41 members in the 113th Congress.
The new Senate GA Caucus co-chairs will work to recruit members to the caucuses, and guide its work to inform fellow lawmakers about GA’s importance to citizens, companies and communities across the United States.
“We are very excited by these appointments,” said Dick Doubrava, NBAA vice president of government affairs. “The new co-chairs have been strong supporters of general aviation, and have helped promote an understanding of the industry when policies are proposed that could impact GA.”
Christa Fornarotto, NBAA vice president of government affairs agreed, adding: “We look forward to working with Sens. Boozman and Manchin in their new roles as co-chairs of the GA Caucus, as they work to highlight the value of all general aviation, including business aviation, to policymakers on Capitol Hill.”
Boozman was sworn in as senator in January 2011; before then, he served as congressman for the third congressional district in Arkansas, and in that position was one of the founding members of the House GA Caucus. Last March, he joined with U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) to introduce the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act requiring that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reform general aviation medical standards to maintain safety while supporting capable pilots and sustaining economic growth in the industry.
Boozman has reported that in Arkansas, general aviation airports support more than $500 million annually in economic activity and that nearly 10,000 residents work in aviation and aerospace manufacturing – many in the general aviation sector.
Manchin has served in the Senate since 2010. He has championed general aviation causes on numerous occasions, including last year, when he and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure the FAA conducts an open rulemaking process before enacting potential changes to the medical certification requirements for pilots in relation to sleep disorders. Manchin was the keynote speaker at NBAA’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in 2011.
Before being elected to the Senate, Manchin served as West Virginia governor; in that position, he proclaimed January 2010 as “General Aviation Appreciation Month,” and noted that West Virginia’s aviation system supports more than 11,000 jobs and contributes about $616 million to the economy.
# # #
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.
Members of the media may receive NBAA Press Releases immediately via email. To subscribe to the NBAA Press Release email list, submit the online form.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.