Originally Posted by rickair7777

Not up to the FAA. IIRC it used to be, the age 60 rule was just an FAR.

But age 65 was enacted as a law by congress (because the FAA didn't do it quickly enough). So now congress would need to change it.

As to if (more likely when) this will happen, that will come down to factors and processes which are largely opaque to us, AME's, and probably the FAA as well.

a) Does it somehow benefit some congresspeople? Apparently it does, or they wouldn't be floating the idea.

b) Are there enough other congresspeople who are violently opposed to counter a)? Not really much sign of that.

c) Can the a) people get it into a large bill as a quid pro quo? This is what we don't know, but this kind of thing happens day in and day out on the hill.

d) Does POTUS hate it badly enough to veto a stand-alone bill? Maybe. Does he hate it enough to veto a major authorization bill with age 67 embedded? Almost certainly not, too many other moving parts with something like that. Also POTUS isn't interested in doing Mayor Pete any favors at the moment since he might run against him.


Bottom line: many folks who might oppose a stand-alone bill on principle or for politics will not go against a major authorization with embedded pork, which their party leadership has carefully crafted with great effort. That's how this will go down, like so many other special interest projects.