senator moran who has been suchs a pleasure to work with and also to my colleagues in the housing especially to our chairwoman of the committee who has been so generous in working with me as a subcommittee chair. this initiative may be new in its short history it's already proven popular with educational training institutions with demand for training grants. our bill will fix this imbalance by strengthening the capacity and capabilities of the aviation education andng training organizations with the goal of recruiting and preparing the next generations of american aviation workers. i want to say a brief word about bowing a company with a proud heritage in american aviation. this bill doesn't fully address the issues that have come to light since a door plug flew out of an alaska airline flight mid january of this year. congress must look more closely

at these issues and assess what additional legislation may be needed.as as the chair indicated, we will be conducting vigorous oversight, but that will take time and this bill contains urgently needed imminent safety. we must not delay this reauthorization while we continue our oversight and all aviation manufacturers. so let's pass this bill, and i yield the floor. >> i rise today and strong support for the faa reauthorization act of 2024. this bill negotiated by chair cantwell and myself with the leadership of the house transportation and house transportation and infrastructure and science committees is a bicameral and bipartisan accomplishment. it is the culmination of many months of work between us and our staff and is reflective of the priorities of a great many senators. on the republican side alone,

more than 200 member priorities were included. i am especially proud of the numerous provisions that make for a safer and more convenient travel experience for texans and consumers across the nation and the provisions that will help grow texas is thriving space sector. it will make significant strides in aviation safety. the primary mission of the faa into something that i know all of us care deeply about. it will provide a clear path and enhancedie technologies near misses at the airports, multiple concerning maintenance reports of united u airlines flights and the alarming decompression of alaska airlines flight 1282 have

together raised serious concerns with the safety of our airspace. aviation safety has been and will continue to be one of the very top priorities of the senate commerce committee. when the people of texas a board a flight, they expect their flight and their families to be safe. as a result, i'm proud to say that our bill includes numerous crucial safety provisions such as requiring 25 hour cockpit voice recorders in all commercial aircraft. the safety upgrade will allow the national transportation safety board and faa to have access to vital information needed during accident investigations. this became abundantly clear after the cockpit voice recorder in the alaska airlines flight was lost because of an outdated two hour requirement.

that is unacceptable and it should never happen again with this bill it will not happen again. in responseec to recent runaway surface incidents, this bill establishes a zero tolerance and it prioritizes projects that prove surveillance and establish a runaway safety council and requires a timeline and action plan to actually get better runaway and tarmac technologies installed at airports that need them. air traffic controller shortages have plagued airports across the country including in my home state of texas, putting travelers safety at risk. this legislation aims to relieve the strain on air traffic control by directing the faa to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. hopefully aiding the many facilities that have been

understaffed for far too long. at a time when aircraft safety seemsn to be on the news every other day, our bipartisan bill makes important upgrades to safety reporting. commercial aviation has improved in the last several decades in part because the faa and industry have tracked trends in safety to respond in a proactive manner to safety concerns instead of waiting until after a fatal accident has occurred. furthermore, this bill recognizes the important role that whistleblowers play and includes protections for those reporting safety concerns. the bill also makes transformative investments in airports across the country by making updates to the formula used to disperse grants for airport infrastructure project. as a result, all airports across the country will be able to rehab their runways or acquire

critical safety technologies. i am also pleased to the bill makes it easier to obtain permits for airport construction projects. this bill is good for airports large and small across the nation. the bill does not ignore the fact that sometimes airlines screw up and leave consumers hanging. one provision provides that parents in the chamber should be really happy about is the requirement for airlines to ensure that families are able to sift together. this just makes sense and will help make traveling with young children just a little bit easier. i'm also pleased that there's a requirement that customers who need customer service will now be guaranteed that they can talk to a human representative, and actual human being 24/7.

finally, this bill makes important improvements for travelers with disabilities, including requiring training for employees who handle wheelchairs, and it requires the dot toel actually respond to complaints submitted by the aggrieved passengers. i know there's been a lot of attention paid to the additional five round trip flights at the bca by added by this bipartisan bill. reagan national is the only airport in the country that congress has decreed that a plane may travel no further than 1,215 miles from when landing or taking off from. it is absurd and it is unfair to millions of flyers who were forced to pay higher prices because of this rule. it's been over a decade since congress expanded access and the inclusion is a modest proposal that will bring down consumer prices for flyers in the dc

region and from western states. this modest increase will not result in negative impacts or delays, nor will it result in loss of flight for anyone who currently receives service. i repeat it n will not result in loss of flights for any route that currently receives service. despite the threats and fear amongering from the army of united airlines lobbyists who are actively working to protect their monopoly, by my count, the united threat to service cuts these five round-trip flights will lead to more than half the states and the union. i don't believe the propaganda. and i have to say it's not in the interest of any senator to support a policy that reduces competition, enhances monopoly

products for one airline and drives up the prices not only for the residence in virginia and dc and maryland, but for the residents of all 50 states who come to the nation's capital. in contrast, this addition of service will allow for further competition between the airlines that serve. competition is good for consumers and lowering prices. this will also provide the ability for there to be a direct flight. to the nation's capital and also for business travelers and tourists in san antonio. i also want to talk about the benefits this bill house for a

new aerospace technologies. our bill helps the faa modernize and transform its operations and handling of new entrants like drones and air taxes. a provision that will increase productivity and spur economic activity.de importantly the reauthorization includes measures to eliminate inefficiencies play a game of the next general office. this legislation also directs the faa to complete a thought beyond a visual line of sight rulemaking which will expand drone delivery and other operations acrossne the country especially in my home state of texas. i'm also proud of the reforms aimed at better integrating commercial space activities into the national aerospace system assisting providers and navigating complicated airspace will beoo a boost for the thrivg commercial space industry.

to carry out all these ambitious goals, the faa needs a workforce that has the technical expertise to conduct effective oversight of manufacturers and airlines as well as technical experts who cacan help in the certificationf these new and novel technologies. this was a major focus of our efforts. for example, in the effort to boost the aviation workforce and provide more opportunities for america's veterans, this legislation makes it easier for military service members to transition to civil aviation careers. this comprehensive and bipartisan bill bolsters the faa at a time when the agency needs support. the aviation system is more strained than ever. millions of americans travel every single day. millions of americans depend on