Air Passenger Fee Limitations

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 5462, a bill I introduced to address executive overreach affecting the traveling public.

Specifically, this bill would lower fees for certain airline passengers by clarifying congressional intent and setting a mandatory cap on the fees that TSA collects for round trips.

Since 9/11, aviation user fees have helped to defray security costs and ensure that our vital transportation network remains safe. However, when the Bipartisan Budget Act increased these fees, TSA took the language to mean that it was authorized to collect an even higher amount than Congress intended, and it eliminated its own longstanding cap on round trip fees.

Bipartisan Members of the House and Senate, including the authors of the Bipartisan Budget Act, agree that TSA is not authorized to collect these higher fees from travelers, which will add $60 to $70 million annually to the cost of air travel.

H.R. 5462 looks to correct this overreach and save American taxpayers from having to shell out millions of dollars in extra fees. Reducing the burden on airline passengers benefits everyone--from helping families save money when taking a vacation to cutting costs for our small businesses whose employees travel for work.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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