Rep. Scholten Statement on FAA Reauthorization

Watch Rep. Scholten’s floor speech on the FAA reauthorization here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03), a member of the prestigious House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the below statement after voting to pass the bipartisan five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act:

“For months, my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and I have been hard at work putting together a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization that will protect travelers and move air travel forward. I’m proud to say that we secured so many critical wins for West Michigan in this bill – including my provisions to support upgrades to aging air traffic control towers like the one located at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR),” said Rep. Scholten. “This bill is innovative, collaborative, and essential to the safety of travelers in Michigan and across the nation, and I look forward to seeing President Biden sign this legislation into law.” 

The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act includes two of Rep. Scholten’s provisions that direct the FAA to specifically consider old towers at airports like GRR when selecting projects for replacement and increase transparency around the process used when deciding which towers need to be upgraded.

Rep. Scholten has long advocated for the relocation and replacement of the aging air traffic control tower at GRR and recently penned a letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker urging the FAA to prioritize the project.