Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2017

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, aviation continues to play a significant role in the American economy and in American life. The industry contributes $1.6 trillion to the economy on an annual basis and supports more than 10.6 million jobs.

In 2017, 850 million passengers boarded U.S. airline flights for both domestic and international trips. Americans rely on planes to do their jobs, to catch up with far-flung friends, and to take a much needed break from work, to make it to important family events.

Every few years, Congress has to pass legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, the government agency responsible for everything from overseeing the safety of the national airspace to providing grants for critical infrastructure needs at airports. Passing that reauthorization bill gives us the opportunity to take a look at aviation as a whole and to hear from manufacturers, airport administrators, airlines, and the flying public. That is exactly what we did with the reauthorization bill that is before the Senate today.

In the lead-up to this bill, we spent months conducting research, holding hearings in the Commerce Committee which I chair, and listening to the aviation community and to airline passengers. Then we took that information and used it to develop legislation that will strengthen aviation, promote economic growth, enhance transportation safety and security, and improve the flying experience for the public.

I am proud of the bill we have before us today and grateful for the hard work done by Members of both parties in the House and Senate.

Obviously, security is a massive priority for the airline industry and for the flying public and for the Federal Government. Terrorist groups continue to target passenger aircraft and the aviation sector, but security measures, of course, can also lead to frustration. Who hasn't been caught in a long TSA line desperately hoping to make it through in time to catch a flight? The bill before us today will both boost security and help reduce some of the delays associated with security checks.

For starters, the bill represents the first-ever reauthorization of the Transportation Security Administration in the history of the agency. It establishes a 5-year term for the head of the TSA which will increase leadership stability at the TSA and promote the efficient and effective deployment of security initiatives.

The bill also puts in place measures to speed the deployment of the latest, most effective screening technologies so we can keep up with the latest threats to aviation. It requires an agencywide review at the TSA to look at how to eliminate duplication and redundant senior personnel to ensure that the agency operates in the most efficient manner possible.

This legislation also authorizes more K-9 teams to be deployed in airports and other transportation facilities around the United States, and it creates an outside certification process to enable faster deployment. This is good news both for security and for passengers. K-9 teams enhance security at airports, and security checkpoints with K-9 teams can operate substantially more quickly.

Currently, a majority of explosive detection dogs in the United States come from overseas. Being able to obtain more of these dogs in the United States would reduce the cost and speed up the process of acquiring K-9 teams. That is why this bill helps build our capacity to test and certify explosive detection dogs here at home.

In another victory for anyone who has ever waited in a long security line, this bill also requires the TSA to post real-time security checkpoint wait times not just at the airport but also online. That means you will be able to check the security wait time while you are still at home so you will know if you need to leave for a flight or if you can spend a few more minutes reviewing your packing list.

The bill will also make it easier for travelers to sign up for Precheck and to receive expedited screening--something that will speed up checkpoint wait times and enhance public area security for all passengers.

While we are on the subject of making life easier for passengers, this bill contains some commonsense reforms that will improve the flying experience. For starters, this legislation prohibits airlines from involuntarily bumping from a flight passengers who have already boarded. I think we can all agree that once you have boarded a plane, you shouldn't be kicked off until you have arrived at your destination.

I also think everyone would agree that when you pay for a service, you should get it. That is why this legislation requires airlines to promptly return fees for services they don't deliver. If you pay for a seat assignment, for example, you should get that seat. If you don't, you should get your money back promptly.

This legislation also directs the FAA to set minimum legroom requirements for seats on commercials flights to ensure safety.

As I mentioned above, the aviation industry makes a big contribution to our economy, and the legislation before the Senate today will help this industry continue to compete and innovate. The FAA sets standards for aircraft designs and other aircraft components, and it certifies these designs to ensure they meet specific requirements. This legislation will take excess bureaucracy out of the certification process so that U.S. air companies can get their products to market on time and successfully compete in the global marketplace. It will also enable U.S. manufacturers to fully use certification authorities that have been delegated to them.

The bill before us today also supports the development of the air- based technologies of the future, including the return of supersonic aircraft and the integration of unmanned aircraft systems--more commonly known as drones--into the international airspace. The bill advances the development of low-altitude traffic management services, which are essential as drone use becomes more widespread. It also provides more flexibility to the FAA to approve advanced drone operations, like extended flights or flights over crowds of people, and it directs the FAA to authorize operators of small drones to carry packages, meaning that sometime in the near future, your Amazon Prime order could arrive via drone.

In the wake of serious accidents on our Nation's roads, railroads, or in the sky, Congress turns to the National Transportation Safety Board to get the facts and to tell us what went wrong. The legislation before us today will strengthen the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation process and make more information available to the public. It will also expand access to assistance for the families of victims of rail and aviation accidents.

There are a lot of other good provisions in this bill, as well, everything from infrastructure investment to upgrades in safety requirements. Mostly unrelated to aviation, this bill also includes critically needed disaster response reforms and a down payment to help communities in the Carolinas recover from Hurricane Florence.

I am very proud of the bipartisan bill we have produced and the advancements it will make for all stakeholders in the aviation industry--from manufacturers to airline workers, to passengers. I thank the ranking member, Senator Nelson, and our counterparts on the Transportation Committee and the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives, as well as other Senate committees that contributed to this bipartisan legislation. The members of our committees and their staffs put in a lot of hard work on this bill, and our Nation's aviation and air transportation system will be safer as a result.

I look forward to casting a vote for this bill and getting this legislation on the President's desk and signed into law. I encourage all of my colleagues here in the Senate to support this legislation when we have the opportunity to vote on it, hopefully, later today.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source