Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) formally joined Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) as co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus in the 114th Congress. Veasey, entering his second term, immediately became active in general aviation issues when he was elected to Congress, participating in a General Aviation Manufacturers Association rally, signing on to key initiatives and joining the caucus.

GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce noted Veasey has a strong understanding of general aviation and manufacturing issues and said, “Congressmen Graves and Veasey will be a powerful team to lead the caucus.”

Veasey said he “looks forward to working with Congressman Graves to advance public knowledge and awareness about how important general aviation is to our economy and industrial base, totaling a more than $14 billion impact in Texas and over $150 billion nationally.”

The caucus, which had consisted of 254 members in the most recent Congress, kicks off the new session with 222 members, a safe majority in the House. Graves told AIN that one of his first priorities is to expand the caucus membership, particularly in light of the number of aviation issues that will confront Congress this year.