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.