ADVOCATING FOR YOU By Cade Clark, John Shea, and Emma Taylor


Why Representation Matters If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.


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HERE’S BEEN A LOT GOING ON in the legis- lative and regulatory arena for the vertical lift industry. We have an infrastructure bill moving through the US Congress that provides opportunities for us to invest in both infrastructure and workforce devel- opment. Unfortunately, our industry is also staring down the December 2021 deployment of 5G networks, which, as we’ll discuss, will destabilize current compo- nents of aviation safety.


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Legislative Action Center rotor.org/lac


Infrastructure Moves (Kind of) At first, they said no way. Then, somehow, they did it. Yes, the US Senate actually passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill. Despite long odds, President Biden came away with a victory in the Senate. Now the bill goes to the House, where it faces some complex dynamics. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that the House wouldn’t vote on the infra- structure package until the Senate also passed a $3.5 trillion spending package. For those who love to


watch political intrigue, this two-pronged legislative approach promises to provide interesting theater. With the House insisting that both packages be addressed and an evenly divided Senate, we witnessed senators working together to find compromise and a path forward. Should we celebrate adults actually collab- orating in a professional manner to get the job done that they were elected to do? Well, it’s Congress, so yes. What’s important to note in this recent Senate vote is


how different factions came together to achieve their goals. Did everyone get what they wanted? Absolutely not. But by working together, they all got something. The infrastructure bill is still far from making its way


to President Biden’s desk. It’ll take many twists and turns as it winds its way through the House and then goes to conference, where differences between the


10 ROTOR SEPTEMBER 2021


two chambers are hammered out. HAI advocated for several aviation measures included in the Senate’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The legislation includes the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Challenge Grant Program, which authorizes $100 million annual invest- ments to cities over the next five years to conduct proj- ects focused on advancing smart-city technologies that will improve transportation efficiency and safety. The bill also includes $500 million for general aviation airport funding and $5 billion for the FAA over the next five years to be used for towers and air traffic control facili- ties in the National Airspace System. The infrastructure legislation also includes provisions from another piece of legislation, the Promoting Service in Transportation Act, which will build a more dynamic transportation workforce by promoting career opportuni- ties in the transportation sector and advocating for more industry diversity through workforce outreach programs. There may be some additional opportunities in the House infrastructure bill to push other initiatives HAI has advocated for. Stay tuned! Normally, in these articles, we highlight the legislative successes we’ve been able to achieve as an industry. We wanted to take a different approach this time and focus on why representation matters. As the famous saying goes, “If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.” And right now, there is a lot on the menu. Congress is currently debating a $1 trillion infrastruc-


ture package, followed by a $3.5 trillion spending pack- age. Legislators are raising policy questions and looking to trusted resources for information. As the trade associ- ation advocating for the vertical flight industry, HAI serves as that trusted resource, educating Congress on the economic and social importance of vertical flight and advocating for your interests. We also need your voice to help raise awareness.


Your elected officials need to hear directly from you to understand the issues your company faces and hear your proposed solutions.


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