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12-28-2017, 11:36 AM

Nevjets

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Joined APC: Oct 2016

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What ALPA National has been doing

ALPA in 2017
While 2017 is certainly going to be noted for dramatic change in Washington, DC and the 115th Congress may be on track as the least productive (at least in terms of numbers of bills signed into law) Congress in modern history, the same cannot be said for ALPA advocacy. We’ve stayed the pilot partisan course, built on our previous successes and expertise, expanded our reach, flexed our political muscle, and welcomed new pilot volunteers. At the mid-point of this Congress, we are situated well to address new and on-going challenges and move sound aviation policy that will benefit safety, security and the future of the profession. For this special edition of your Legislative/Political Update, we've prepared a summary of the year behind us and the year ahead

Presidential Transition

While much has transpired in the last twelve months, keep in mind we started the year with a new President and new Congress. We embraced these major changes and set to work immediately creating new relationships, educating Members of Congress on ALPA’s pilot partisan agenda, and finding avenues into key Administration agencies – many of which still are facing staffing challenges. Captain Canoll met with new cabinet secretaries as well as agency heads at FAA, TSA and other key posts. As Republican staff left the Hill for Administration positions, our long-standing relationships have proven essential.

ALPA-PAC

For the second time in three years, in 2017 ALPA-PAC received national recognition for our PAC program by the Public Affairs Council!

ALPA-PAC was a large part of ALPA’s legislative success during the first session of the 115th Congress. In total, the PAC has disbursed $2,035,000 to support 363 pilot-partisan candidates and committees in 2017. ALPA-PAC disbursements helped our government affairs team and pilot volunteers build strong relationships with decision makers both in Washington and back in the districts those decision makers represent. Our PAC supported candidates from all 50 states, encompassing 286 congressional districts and senate seats.

The dedication to a pilot-partisan Congress is evident in how our PAC funds were distributed: Republican candidates and committees received $998,000 (49.04%) of the PAC’s contributions, while $1,037,000 (50.96%) went to Democrat candidates and committees.

Through the end of October 2017, ALPA-PAC reported $1,849,885 in direct contributions from 12,179 ALPA pilots (not including eligible ALPA staff), which means 23.72% of ALPA’s PAC-eligible pilots chose to contribute this year. That’s over 1,150 more pilot contributors than in calendar year 2016.

ALPA-PAC will have its best year on record once again in 2017, continuing its six-year streak of growth in both contributors and receipts. That cycle of growth will repeat itself in 2018 if ALPA’s government affairs team and pilot volunteers keep educating decision makers on pilot priorities — and then communicate to ALPA pilots that the PAC and a political presence in Washington makes a positive difference for their careers and livelihoods

National Mediation Board

The Senate confirmed three board members this year. ALPA was instrumental in ensuring that all three board nominees moved as a package through the Senate confirmation process so the board would have a full complement of bipartisan members. ALPA is pleased Linda Puchala was re-confirmed which means there will be an experienced board member with extensive aviation background at the NMB.

Subsidized Foreign Carriers (ME3)

We have made real progress in our fight to level the playing field with the three heavily subsidized Middle East airlines (Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar). ALPA and our allies have moved the ball substantially on the merits of this issue. As a result, and for the first time, the Administration has found the ME3 have been subsidized by their governments and that action is needed to create a level playing field in international aviation. The Administration is opening discussions with both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to address this issue with the objectives of 1) an agreement that subsidies do not permit a fair opportunity to compete; 2) an agreement that the airlines of those counties will operate in a transparent manner; and 3) an agreement the financing of the ME3 airlines will be on a commercial and arms-length basis.

At ALPA’s urging, more than 300 Members of Congress have sent letters to the Administration expressing their concern about the ME3 subsidies.

It is important to note that our opposition has ramped up its lobbying efforts this year and looks continue to accumulate resources by hiring additional outside consultants and staffing up at U.S. Travel. This year the opposition has also undertaken an effort to muddy the water and confuse the issue on Capitol Hill. We have redoubled our efforts and spent significant time fighting against their efforts.

FAA Reauthorization

While we are in a holding pattern until closer to the end of the next extension bill in March 2018, we are in a position of strength going into the next round of negotiations on a long-term bill. The House bill (H.R. 2997) includes the majority of ALPA’s FAA reauthorization agenda: no rollback or legislative changes to the first officer qualifications and training rules, addressing undeclared hazmat cargo shipping, safe transport of lithium batteries and aligning U.S. policy with ICAO recommendations, improvements to the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), safe operation of drones, Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) authorization, mandating physically-installed secondary barriers, and the inclusion of H.R. 2150 to fight back against flags of convenience. Additionally, the bill contains NO additional mental or psychological health screening, NO cameras in the cockpit, NO changes to the Railway Labor Act, NO changes to foreign ownership and control rules or cabotage, and NO further changes to 3rd class medical.

The Senate bill is not moving because of ALPA’s objections to a provision that would jeopardize aviation safety by weakening first officer qualification and training requirements. Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune this month conceded he does not have the votes to pass his bill because of opposition to the FOQ changes. ALPA’s education and advocacy is key to preventing a bill that will degrade safety from moving forward.

ALPA is focused on the challenges faced by small and rural communities and strongly supports air transportation options for these communities. As such, we have offered Chairman Thune myriad suggestions to improve rural service and ensure that there will be a healthy supply of pilots in the future, including expanding the Essential Air Service Program to student loans for flight training.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)

We delivered a demonstrable win on drones this year when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law in December. One of the biggest threats to commercial airlines continues to be irresponsible and/or negligent operation of UAS by hobbyists or recreational users. Since drones first came to the market, the number of sightings and near misses by pilots has increased every year. In October, two aircraft (one military helicopter and a small plane) collided with drones on two separate occasions. Neither instance resulted in a crash or fatality, but in one instance the helicopter that was impacted by a drone suffered considerable damage. These two instances reinforced the need for all drones to be registered. Earlier in the year, the FAA instituted a requirement for all recreational drones over .55 lbs. to register with the FAA. Unfortunately, a lawsuit in Maryland was successful in overturning the FAA requirement. ALPA was successful in getting language requiring registration for recreational drones included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which is one of the few pieces of legislation to pass this year.

There continues to be incremental progress made towards full integration of UAS into the national airspace, and ALPA remains the loudest voice for meticulous and safe integration and will work with the FAA and stakeholders to ensure nothing less.

Flags-of-Convenience

At the very end of 2016, the Obama Administration approved Norwegian Air International’s request for a foreign air carrier permit – the first flag-of-convenience operation to be allowed to fly to/from the United States. In response, ALPA worked with Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Drew Ferguson (R-GA) to introduce H.R. 2150 - the Flags-of-Convenience Don’t Fly Here Act. H.R. 2150 would restore the integrity of the U.S.’s Open Skies agreements by making it more difficult for flag of convenience operations to obtain foreign air carrier permits. The act would protect aviation workers from unfair competition; require a public interest test for all future foreign air carrier permit applications; and, specify that the flag of convenience business model must be considered as a negative during that public interest test. So far, H.R. 2150 has garnered 90 bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill, in its entirety, was added to the FAA Reauthorization during a committee markup in June.

Also in response to the Obama Administration’s December decision, ALPA and our allies filed suit in federal court against the Department of Transportation regarding the NAI permit. The case asks the court to reverse the NAI decision. A similar case was filed in September in opposition to Norwegian Air U.K.’s foreign air carrier permit (which was approved by the Trump administration citing NAI as precedent).

Federal Flight Deck Officers Program

The Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDO) program was fully funded in both the FY2017 and FY2018 funding bills. Despite rumors that President Trump was considering eliminating the program, ALPA was able to secure $22.73 million for the program in FY2017. The House Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill maintains funding at that level for FY2018. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to consider a DHS Appropriations bill for FY2018. A final number for the program is pending passage of the FY2018 DHS measure or an omnibus spending bill.

In addition to the funding battles in 2017, ALPA engaged with the Senate Commerce Committee to win important reforms to the program inside of the TSA Modernization Act (S. 1872). Reforms include increasing access to FFDO training centers, streamlining training requirements, harmonizing the program’s administration with the Federal Air Marshal Service, and creating an “inactive status” for FFDOs who cannot maintain their qualifications due to equipment type or medical leave. The bill has yet to be considered by the full Senate or the House.

Appropriations

Many ALPA priorities require annual appropriations or other Congressional action outside of the authorization process. Most of our priorities are contained in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) and Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bills, but ALPA’s wide breadth of concerns cover most of the twelve annual appropriations bills.

2017 proved to be an exciting year for the Appropriations Committees as they considered both the FY2017 and FY2018 spending bills. Following a decision from then-President-elect Trump to ask Congress NOT to complete its work on the previous year’s appropriations bills during the end of the 114th Congress, the 115th Congress began the year with no budget and zero completed spending bills.

Congress reached a deal on FY2017 in April which increased funding for the FAA and the TSA.

Important, pilot partisan accounts, like NextGen, the FFDO program, and the Essential Air Service were fully funded. Additionally, the FY2017 bill included language regarding the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement meant to protect U.S. workers under that agreement, as was in the previous appropriations measure.

In 2017 no deal could be found on the FY2018 appropriations bills. The government operated under a series of continuing resolutions from October 1 through the end of 2017. On December 22, President Trump signed into law legislation to continue federal funding into 2018 — through January 19. While the House managed to pass all 12 of its spending bills before the end of the fiscal year, the Senate finished its work for 2017 without adopting any appropriations bills.