To:
Jackson, Ryan[jackson.ryan@epa.gov]
From: Morning Transportation
Sent: Tue 6/27/2017 2:06:11 PM
Subject: POLITICO'S Morning Transportation, presented by Airlines for America: Let's get ready to
rumble -- Colgan crash families visit the Hill -- Supreme Court to hear travel ban
By Lauren Gardner and Tanya Snyder | 06/27/2017 10:00 AM EDT
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE: The House Transportation Committee's FAA bill markup kicks off this morning at 10 a.m., and we're packing snacks like it's the last major long run of a marathon training period. Last year's markup clocked in at almost 10 hours, and though the political climate around an air traffic control overhaul has shifted some, we're expecting lots of amendments to be offered by members of both parties. The committee has a running list going here, which by midnight amounted to 81 filed amendments.
What to expect: Ranking Democrat Peter DeFazio will lead the charge to strip the air traffic control overhaul out of the bill, proposing to instead move the Airport and Airway Trust Fund off budget. Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) will home in on FAA's ability to manage noise complaints under the new ATC system. Democrats may also attempt to slip even more consumer friendly provisions into the legislation. And Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), who opposed Chairman Bill Shuster's 2016 go-round on air traffic control, has filed a few amendments, including one to refine the bill's provision intended to protect general aviation's access to the proposed new system. No matter what, we'll probably be like this once it's all over.
A gentle reminder: Last year, Shuster's bill made it through the markup, but never surfaced on the House floor amid all the opposition stacked against it. The bill is likely to again make it through the committee, so the real action is yet to come - likely after the July recess.
Party lines: Not a single Democrat will vote for the bill, according to subcommittee ranking member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) "We're unified in opposition in the committee," Larsen told Tanya Monday night. The bill was introduced with two Democratic co-sponsors, Reps. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), but neither of them are on the committee.
Don't miss: While the focus - especially in the House - has been on the prospects of overhauling air traffic control, there are lots of other policy changes in both chambers' reauthorization bills. Your MT co-host breaks down the Senate bill here, and gets an assist from our Brianna Gurciullo on the House measure here.
IT'S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO'S Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on all things trains, planes, automobiles and ports. Brianna will be pinch-hitting today as Tanya's MT co-author, so send your tips, feedback and lyrics to tsnyder@politico.com or @TSnyderDC and bgurciullo@politico.com or @brigurciullo.
"I'm the person / In charge of the aircraft / I'm the pilot / We're hit by a flash / When I tell you to/ Fasten the seat belts / Say a prayer / Cause we're going to crash / Calling air traffic control."
Want to keep up with MT's song picks? Our Spotify playlist has over 100 followers - you can get
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listening, too!
THERE'S MORE TO THE BILL THAN CONTROL: Both the House and Senate version included significant changes to drone policy, including a clarification that says all drones need to be registered, despite the ruling of an appeals court last month that said that drones classified as "model aircraft" don't require registration. The House bill also seeks to jumpstart the creation of an air traffic control system for low-altitude airspace.
Study it some more: Neither the House nor the Senate was ready to make a call on federal preemption of state and local laws regulating the operation of drones, instead opting to call for studies of the issue. Industry wants to avoid a patchwork of regulations. Forty states have passed laws regulating drones and three have passed resolutions. State governments insist that they need to maintain the right to legislate the operation of drones, which are officially in "national airspace" and out of their jurisdiction once they're above the tips of the blades of grass.
What drone users really want...: Is to be able to fly beyond the visual line of sight, at night, and over people. And those issues are all in the hands of the FAA already.
COLGAN FAMILIES STORM THE HILL: The families of passengers who died in a 2009 airline crash will urge lawmakers today to reject any attempts to relax more-stringent qualifications for co-pilots enacted in response to the tragedy - and this week specifically called out Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) for not personally meeting with one of the families who lives in his state. Gale Saltzgiver, whose daughter died in the Colgan Air crash, said he'd previously met with Blunt's staff and requested a meeting this year with him personally, but that never happened. "I am sure that Senator Blunt has taken many meetings and phone calls from a variety of entities and their lobbyists leading up to the drafting of' the bill, Saltzgiver said. Blunt's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
SIT BACK AND LEAVE THE DRIVING TO US: The House Energy and Commerce Committee meets today to discuss 14 draft bills that they hope will help speed the transition to self-driving vehicles. Alan Morrison, associate dean for public interest and public service law at George Washington University Law School, will recommend that regulators set clear standards by which exemptions from federal motor vehicle safety standards will be granted, if they plan to expand exemptions. He also warned that they need to think seriously about issues like cybersecurity and liability. And he found the provision related to federal preemption of state laws perplexing. "I know of no law in which Congress has attempted to preclude states from acting when neither it nor any federal agency has taken any action in that subject area," he will say, according to his written testimony.
Driving Ms. Latta: Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, is gung-ho about the promise of self-driving cars to help people like his mom, who has had a visual impairment since 1972. However, when asked whether his 93-year-old mom would actually ride in a driverless car, he demurred.
Senate side: Senators are also "in the final stages of putting together their own legislation on driverless cars," Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) told Tanya Monday night. He said not to expect a
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rollout before the July Fourth recess. "If we could do it this summer, I'd be very happy," he said. Commerce Committee members have had "well over 100 meetings with stakeholders," Peters said.
** A message from Airlines for America: America invented aviation, yet our global leadership is at risk. Passing FAA reauthorization and modernizing our air traffic control system will bring us into the 21st century. We need reforms without increasing costs for travelers. Ask Congress to support ATC Reform and reject an unnecessary Airport Tax increase. - www.stopairtaxnow.com **
FROM THE SKIES TO THE RAILS: Former Delta CEO Richard Anderson will join Amtrak in July as its next lead executive, fully taking over the reins by the end of the year from Wick Moorman, POLITICO New York's Dana Rubinstein scoops . Moorman was always expected to be a short-term leader for the passenger railroad, a chief who could help the company overhaul its management structure while it searched for someone to take the helm for the long haul. Anderson's hire "is another affirmation of the importance of Amtrak and the fact that people that have been in the transportation business believe that it is important, believe that we can make it better, and believe it will play a more and more important part in the country's transportation processes," Moorman said.
A DATE WITH THE SUPREMES: The Supreme Court will allow aspects of President Donald Trump's travel ban executive order to take effect before the justices hear arguments on the policy in October. For now, POLITICO'S Josh Gerstein reports, the court has "limited the directive's impact on foreigners with clear ties to individuals, businesses or organizations in the United States." As of now, it's unclear what the administration needs to do to begin enforcing what it can from the order. Josh delves more into five outstanding questions after the ruling here.
Hello, travelers: DHS said in a statement that it will implement the portions of the order that it can "professionally, with clear and sufficient public notice, particularly to potentially affected travelers, and in coordination with partners in the travel industry." The U.S. Travel Association continued its call for the administration "to draw a brighter line" between "tough talk" against terrorists and welcoming tourists and business travelers to the country.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE AIRPORT: The American Road and Transportation Builders Association wants more airport infrastructure funding ahead of this week's FAA bill markups in both chambers. On Monday it circulated an analysis showing that current Airport Improvement Program funding levels provide half the money needed to improve safety and congestion. The solution? Increasing AIP funding and boosting or eliminating the cap on PFCs, per the group.
THE AUTOBAHN:
- "Oscar Mayer Made a Drone to Rain Hot Dogs Down on Humanity." Gizmodo.
- "Alphabet Inks Deal for Avis to Manage Self-Driving Car Fleet." Bloomberg.
- "Judge rejects Maryland's plea to start Purple Line construction during appeal." The
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Washington Post.
- Michigan-based company to purchase Takata assets. The Detroit News.
- "With 54 Million to Go, This Airbag Recall Is Never Going To End." The Wall Street Journal.
- "As Uber arrives in Alaska, towns without taxis have new transportation option." KTOO.
- "20-pound live lobster found in luggage at Boston airport." the Associated Press.
THE COUNTDOWN: DOT appropriations run out in 96 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 96 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 1,192 days.
** A message from Airlines for America: Modernizing our nation's air traffic control system and bringing it into the 21st century is one of our most important infrastructure priorities. Congress now has the opportunity to enhance America's world-leading safety record while reducing flight delays and cancellations. And we must reform our air traffic control system and secure our position as the global leader in aviation without increasing, or uncapping, the Airport Tax. This would further burden consumers with unnecessary levies. Flyers today spend $63 in taxes on a typical $300 airline ticket. Isn't that enough? We can't have a system in which individual airports raise taxes on passengers whenever they want by however much they want. Airports enjoy a variety of funding sources for improvement projects, including nearly $7 billion that is sitting dormant in the airport trust fund. To tell your Members of Congress that we need ATC Reform without a tax hike on passengers, visit www.stopairtaxnow.com, **
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