ALPA Pilots Learn House T&I Committee Chair’s Priorities On Friday,
March 15, ALPA pilots and staff were on hand as U.S. House Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) addressed the
Aero Club of Washington, D.C.
Shuster gave his view on the federal role in ensuring the U.S. aviation
system remains the best in the world, and discussed the committee’s agenda for
the coming months. He touched on several priority concerns for ALPA, including
the U.S. government’s subjecting the airline industry to so-called “sin” taxes,
and the need to recognize the intense competition that U.S. airlines face from
heavily state-backed foreign airlines. Among other issues, Shuster also talked
about the integration of unmanned aerial systems in the national airspace
system, the American-US Airways merger, and the mandatory, across-the-board
federal spending cuts.
In his remarks, Shuster emphasized the value he places on
talking to stakeholders. ALPA’s national officers, pilot volunteers, and
Government Affairs team, many of whom attended the luncheon, have cultivated
relationships with Rep. Shuster and House T&I Committee and Aviation
Subcommittee members. ALPA will continue to build on these connections to
advance the union’s legislative goals in the safety, security, and labor
relations arenas. |