Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, delivered the following statement at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee’s hearing, “Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization: Enabling a 21st Century Aviation System.” The remarks are as prepared for delivery.

Good morning.  Thank you, Chairman LoBiondo, for holding this hearing on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization. 

As we continue our yearlong series of hearings on FAA reauthorization today, it is time that we hear from the agency itself about what is working and what is not, and what Congress can do to maintain the U.S. aviation system’s impressive safety record and global leadership.   

The authorization for the FAA expires in less than eight months.

There is no doubt that we have our work cut out for us. But I am personally committed to do my part to work along with Chairman LoBiondo to ensure that we complete a bill on time, without the need for an extension.

I expect we will cover a lot of ground, so let me walk through a few of my priorities briefly. I strongly believe that the reauthorization must maintain or enhance safety; invest responsibly in the aviation system; move NextGen forward; advance certification reform; and move closer toward safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). 

First, safety.  I want to be clear that I will not support any efforts to roll back any safety improvements of the past several years.

The FAA has made great progress implementing the mandates of the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, and any attempts to undo this work, including any weakening of pilot qualification rules, is a nonstarter for me.

Next, investment. We must provide stable and adequate funding to mitigate the impacts that sequestration and budgetary constraints have had on the agency. 

In light of the FAA's ongoing fiscal challenges, potential reforms of the air traffic control system have been a popular topic of conversation. I have said this before, and I will say it again: reauthorization must not be a science experiment. 

Our air traffic system is not fundamentally broken. If we resolve to be “transformational,” we must do so with a clear statement of the problem we are trying to solve and clear understanding of how to solve it without compromising what is working—safety.

On NextGen, there are clearly opportunities for Congress to streamline, optimize, and enhance the NextGen effort in the reauthorization bill.

Last October, in response to a tasking from Chairman LoBiondo and me, the FAA selected four priorities identified by the RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee that will produce real benefits for airlines and the flying public. The Chairman and I will remain laser-focused and in lockstep in seeing these priorities through and continuing to push the FAA to make progress in other important NextGen programs.

When the Committee met in January to discuss the FAA's certification programs, we heard that U.S. aircraft, engine, and component manufacturers often experience costly delays in certification projects. 

We have an opportunity in this bill to optimize the certification process—to make it more efficient, more predictable, and more transparent. I intend to seize that opportunity.

I look forward to hearing from Administrator Huerta about what he intends to do to maintain our global leadership in certifying new technologies and what, if anything, Congress can do to help. 

Finally, there is the issue of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS. The UAS industry has great potential to drive economic growth and create jobs.  The FAA estimates as many as 7,500 small commercial UAS may be in use within the next three years. 

The magnitude of the safety implications of incorporating this new technology cannot be overstated. Our nation’s airspace is the most sophisticated and congested in the world, so safely integrating these new users into the airspace is no small task. 

We must figure out how to ensure the FAA is keeping pace with steps toward integration, without compromising the safety of the system.

Our aviation system is the world's finest.  But in the face of strong global competition, we must work hard every day to keep it that way.  This reauthorization provides a historic opportunity to do so. 

Thank you. I yield back. 

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