AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2014 - 4

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

Putting it in perspective

MARK BAKER
AOPA President and CEO

Why we need to be inside the beltway-and across the country

AOPA PRESIDENT

Mark Baker is
an avid seaplane
pilot and owns
a Beech 18 and
a Super Cub
on floats.

4 | AOPA PILOT August 2014

WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "CONGRESS," a lot of adjectives pop into your head-some of them flattering,
others less so. Many Americans, myself included, have
strong feelings about our form of government and the
men and women we elect. Politics today is divisive, but
it's my job to work with elected representatives from
every corner of the country to ensure that general aviation is protected and find ways to help it grow.
Congress has a lot of responsibilities, and there are
hundreds, even thousands, of issues competing for the
attention of lawmakers every day. That's one reason it's
so important to stay in close contact with elected officials and ensure general aviation issues are kept front
and center.
In many ways, working with members of Congress is
like working with anyone else. If you want to be heard,
you also need to listen. Mutual respect and honesty are
vital in any working relationship, and working with
Congress is no different.
You probably already know how I spend summer
weekends-flying to great GA airports from Indianapolis
to Fort Collins, Colorado; Plymouth, Massachusetts;
Oshkosh; Wichita; and Afton, Wyoming. Key West,
Florida; Anoka, Minnesota; and more. But to give you an
idea of how I spend my time inside the beltway, I'd like
to tell you about a few things I've done in Washington,
D.C., this summer.
When the House Aviation Subcommittee
invited me to testify at a hearing on airport financing, I was eager to talk about how important Airport
Improvement Program funds are to GA airports (see
"Member News and Notes," page 136). It was also
an opportunity to remind lawmakers of the critical
role GA airports play, linking rural communities and
providing disaster relief, law enforcement, medical,
charitable, and business services.
The same week, the House General Aviation Caucus
held a briefing where I had the chance to talk about the
importance of third class medical reform. This is one of
the top issues for AOPA members, and our elected officials need to know just how much it matters to pilots.
Hearings and briefings like these are vitally important, but they aren't the only way to work with D.C.
decision makers to create a more positive environment
for GA. I also spend a fair amount of time in one-on-one
meetings with members of Congress and the leaders of
key government agencies.

During those same few weeks of summer, I met
with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the top Republican on
the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee-as well as Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), the
top Republican on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee. I
also had meetings with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who
is poised to serve as the top Democrat on the Senate
Commerce Committee next year, and Sen. Jerry Moran
(R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Transportation
Appropriations Subcommittee. These are lawmakers
who recognize the importance of aviation to their states
and who hold positions of influence when it comes to
decisions that affect how we fly.
Members of Congress aren't the only people in
Washington who make decisions affecting GA. That's
why I have also recently met with FAA Administrator
Michael Huerta, Transportation Secretary Anthony
Foxx, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner
Gil Kerlikowske, and Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson.
These face-to-face encounters are critical because
they create the kind of back-and-forth needed to
make progress on important issues. Each meeting is
a chance to share the general aviation perspective and
talk about what we, as GA operators, need to function
safely, efficiently, and freely as part of the national
transportation system.
I know there are those who think we spend too
much time in Washington, D.C., but the truth is that no
advocacy organization can be effective without a strong
presence inside the beltway. It's equally true that there's
value in stepping outside the world of politics and regulation to get perspective on what's really going on.
I think we have the right balance of both at AOPA.
Our headquarters is outside the beltway and we spend
lots of time meeting with members across the country,
getting to know their points of view and understand
what matters most to pilots. Then there's the work we
do in the states with the help of our state legislative
affairs team and regional managers. But we also keep
an office inside D.C., making it easier to build and maintain the relationships that let us get things done at the
federal level. And, in the end, that's what we're here
for-to represent you and your needs to the people with
the responsibility to make things happen.
AOPA
EMAIL mark@aopa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2014

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