The Aerospace Industries Association and 80 of its individual members are urging key Senate and House lawmakers to move forward with legislation to reform and streamline certification procedures, saying further delays could hamper the global leadership of U.S. manufacturers. The organizations wrote the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce Committee recently, noting that the 340 U.S. manufacturing, service and supply companies account for 2.4 million employees and enjoy a $90 billion positive trade balance.

But, the organizations added, “Our global competitors are gaining ground and our regulatory burdens must be reformed if we are to maintain a leadership position.” Those reforms are included in comprehensive reauthorization legislation that is pending in both the House and Senate. “We believe this demonstrates strong bipartisan support for enacting comprehensive reforms without further delay,” they said.

But, they noted, Congress passed 23 short-term extensions over four years before the previous FAA reauthorization bill was passed in 2012. “With that bill now expired for almost two years...it is critical for Congress to enact this import legislation now,” the organizations wrote in the letter. Not only will the reforms help bolster U.S competiveness, they said, but “U.S. manufacturers and suppliers need a stable and well understood regulatory environment if we are to plan, hire and invest effectively—and with confidence for the future.”