Phil Boyer, AOPA's president since 1991, has been flying for more than 30 years.
Last month a seismic shift occurred within the political earth of Washington, D.C., when Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to become an independent, thereby giving control of the Senate to the Democrats. You might be wondering how this change in power will affect AOPA's ability to protect your right to fly. Well, the answer is that we've gained a little support, and we've lost a little support.
Jeffords' decision gives Democrats control of the Senate for the first time since 1994. This means that the Senate leadership, including chairmen of key committees, will change. As a result, the Democratic leadership is now in a position to decide which bills make it to the Senate floor for a vote and which ones will not. The senator who makes this final decision is the Senate majority leader.
Since 1994 Republican Trent Lott of Mississippi has held this position. His leadership brought together House and Senate negotiators to make possible the final passage of the historic Aviation Investment and Reform Act, known as AIR-21. This legislative feat was performed after most experts believed that the bill was dead, and for this extraordinary effort AOPA awarded Lott the 2000 Hartranft Award, which recognizes the government official who made the greatest contribution to the cause of general aviation for the year.
Replacing Lott is Democratic senator and pilot Tom Daschle of South Dakota. Daschle's background as a general aviation pilot should make him sympathetic to our efforts. As a Western-state senator, Daschle has constituents who rely on general aviation to travel across the region.
I shed no tears recognizing what may be the biggest shift in power affecting general aviation. Arizona Sen. John McCain is forced to relinquish the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee to Democratic Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina. As you are aware, McCain has been a longtime proponent of the privatization of air traffic control services. In a recent The Hill article, McCain wrote that the current ATC system "has become a constraint on the growth of aviation". It may be that ATC can best be provided by a corporate entity that is outside the normal government structure and funded directly by a bondable stream of fees and charges for ATC services." He also stated that he supports an exemption for "recreational general aviation" from such fees and charges.
It is on this last point that I have repeatedly clashed with McCain. While he may believe that such language will exclude the majority of the AOPA membership from the effects of such a measure, at no time does he define just what is "recreational general aviation." Is a businessman traveling the state in his Piper Archer part of "recreational general aviation," or is "recreational general aviation" restricted only to those who fly small aircraft in their spare time on weekends? The problem is that we just don't know.
Hollings, on the other hand, is far less disposed toward a privatized or corporatized air traffic control service funded by user fees. First elected to the Senate in 1966, Hollings has a long history of support for general aviation, particularly the flight service station system, and his presence as chairman of the committee should be a breath of fresh air for those who oppose user fees.
However, one of the most devastating setbacks to general aviation in the Senate is the loss of AOPA member Ted Stevens of Alaska as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. With general aviation serving as a vital lifeline to a large number of his Alaskan constituents, Stevens has been an ardent supporter of our efforts on Capitol Hill. In 1998 he stood like a rock in the path of McCain's efforts to create a user-fee-funded FAA. This important committee annually places the funds in the FAA checking account, so to speak. Replacing Stevens as chairman is Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia. As the unofficial historian of the Senate, no member understands the intricate workings of the institution better than he. His leadership of this committee will shape the future of aviation funding in America.
As you can tell, the changes in some Senate leadership positions may not spell doom for general aviation, but some current AOPA legislative initiatives will now face a less certain future under Democratic control. A key one this year is Republican Sen. Mike Crapo's AOPA-supported Backcountry Landing Strip Access Act, which has been referred to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The transfer of authority in this committee from Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska to Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico may make it more difficult for Crapo to get the legislation passed. On the positive side, we stand a very good chance of receiving support from Hollings in preventing the privatization of aviation weather services.
While a senator's decision to switch political parties is a rare occurrence in Washington, a change in the power structure of the Senate is a natural part of our nation's history. For those who lobby the Congress on special issues such as general aviation, these changes mean we lose some support and we gain some support. But no matter who holds the power in Congress, AOPA will still be there extolling the benefits of general aviation and fighting for your right to fly.
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