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3rd Class Medical Reform in January 2015? ...crumbling of the proverbial Berlin Wall, FAA style
- Thread starter WindOnHisNose
- Start date
Yip, AGREE Sky!!
It would make sense for103 to disappear if/when the PBR2 becomes law, just having basic instruction, a no pilot license and a valid drivers license would be appropriate in my mind. The arbitrary weight limits set by 103 and Sport license (1320) have never made sense and it would have been just as easy and appropriate to have included all the 4 seats under 3,000 lbs and we wouldn't have this mess now. As every pilot knows, it is just as safe flying a 172 with 2 souls on board as an under 1320 plane...leads me to believe there is some money to be made by the (then new) LSA industry. I'd bet FAA would be hard pressed to justify any of the restriction on LSA/Sport Pilot since it could have made Recreational Pilots able to fly with a driver's license and be done with it. It has always seemed to me that money to be made was LSA driver.
It would make sense for103 to disappear if/when the PBR2 becomes law, just having basic instruction, a no pilot license and a valid drivers license would be appropriate in my mind. The arbitrary weight limits set by 103 and Sport license (1320) have never made sense and it would have been just as easy and appropriate to have included all the 4 seats under 3,000 lbs and we wouldn't have this mess now. As every pilot knows, it is just as safe flying a 172 with 2 souls on board as an under 1320 plane...leads me to believe there is some money to be made by the (then new) LSA industry. I'd bet FAA would be hard pressed to justify any of the restriction on LSA/Sport Pilot since it could have made Recreational Pilots able to fly with a driver's license and be done with it. It has always seemed to me that money to be made was LSA driver.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Low, Your 3,000 lbs is also an arbitrary number. Why not 3,500 or something else, then my 185 would be included.
Good point...guess we could go all the way up to 12,500 which is also probably an arbitrary number...why not 15K! In reality, if you are self certifying your health and you have been checked out and qualified in the family 727 why can't you fly that too? Sure, it would make a larger body count if it crashed but then we have enough suicides with a plane full of folks when there are ATP's at the stick. I suspect 18 wheelers and bus accidents kill a lot more people than pilots without a 3rd Class Med.
Latest but not real news....
AOPA President Mark Baker vowed to pilots at EAA AirVenture that “we are not going to rest until we get the right answer” on third class medical reform.
That reaffirmation drew immediate applause from attendees at the association’s ice cream social July 21. Third class medical reform is AOPA’s top priority, Baker said, adding that the association is working on the issue daily.
AOPA members have made more than 78,000 contacts since the association called them to action to support the third class medical initiative in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Another call to action sent July 16 is also generating support. AOPA is working to get the issue through Congress before the House and Senate go into August recess.
Members should stay alert because the association may issue another call to action before the end of the month.
AOPA President Mark Baker vowed to pilots at EAA AirVenture that “we are not going to rest until we get the right answer” on third class medical reform.
That reaffirmation drew immediate applause from attendees at the association’s ice cream social July 21. Third class medical reform is AOPA’s top priority, Baker said, adding that the association is working on the issue daily.
AOPA members have made more than 78,000 contacts since the association called them to action to support the third class medical initiative in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Another call to action sent July 16 is also generating support. AOPA is working to get the issue through Congress before the House and Senate go into August recess.
Members should stay alert because the association may issue another call to action before the end of the month.
Latest but not real news....
AOPA President Mark Baker vowed to pilots at EAA AirVenture that “we are not going to rest until we get the right answer” on third class medical reform.
That reaffirmation drew immediate applause from attendees at the association’s ice cream social July 21. Third class medical reform is AOPA’s top priority, Baker said, adding that the association is working on the issue daily.
AOPA members have made more than 78,000 contacts since the association called them to action to support the third class medical initiative in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Another call to action sent July 16 is also generating support. AOPA is working to get the issue through Congress before the House and Senate go into August recess.
Members should stay alert because the association may issue another call to action before the end of the month.
AOPA President Mark Baker vowed to pilots at EAA AirVenture that “we are not going to rest until we get the right answer” on third class medical reform.
That reaffirmation drew immediate applause from attendees at the association’s ice cream social July 21. Third class medical reform is AOPA’s top priority, Baker said, adding that the association is working on the issue daily.
AOPA members have made more than 78,000 contacts since the association called them to action to support the third class medical initiative in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Another call to action sent July 16 is also generating support. AOPA is working to get the issue through Congress before the House and Senate go into August recess.
Members should stay alert because the association may issue another call to action before the end of the month.
Richgj3
BENEFACTOR
LI,NY
Not going to rest, eh? Sounds like a sleep disorder. Hope he reports on his medical form :-?
I expected more from OSH, but I guess there's a few more days to hope for a breakthrough there. After it closes the focus will be off the issue. Oh well, I'm trying to be optimistic but it's difficult.
Rich
I expected more from OSH, but I guess there's a few more days to hope for a breakthrough there. After it closes the focus will be off the issue. Oh well, I'm trying to be optimistic but it's difficult.
Rich
Bill Watson
SPONSOR
Indiana
I got an e-mail yesterday from the folks at AOPA and they need another donation, I think I will send some more. I think I saw that it was a 501c deal, maybe its deductible?
Carey Gray
Registered User
Thun Field, Washington
An alphabet group that wants, I mean needs more money--I'll be damned. AOPA, EAA, IAC, NRA..
Bill Watson
SPONSOR
Indiana
Reread the email, bottom line states not deductible, oh well its only money.
sniffler
MEMBER
Hawkins Texas
OK I get it, 3rd class medical is job #1 for AOPA.
Why is no one at AOPA calling out DOT (and FAA) for stonewalling?
Names should be named and threats made that membership and media will be notified. AOPA should specifically call out the Senators and Congressmen on the committees that are responsible for DOT and FAA oversight and ask them why they are shirking their responsibility...............oh and waiter bring another martini
Why is no one at AOPA calling out DOT (and FAA) for stonewalling?
Names should be named and threats made that membership and media will be notified. AOPA should specifically call out the Senators and Congressmen on the committees that are responsible for DOT and FAA oversight and ask them why they are shirking their responsibility...............oh and waiter bring another martini
Cub Builder
MEMBER
North Central AR
And from Today's AOPA daily rag...
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An amendment to the Senate highway bill now under consideration that includes third class medical reform language has been filed by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.). The amendment, which mirrors language in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, was filed by the two senators who are longtime general aviation advocates. Manchin is also a pilot and AOPA member.
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It's pretty evident that "not enough in Congress care whether GA lives or dies to move the bill forward by itself." But perhaps attaching third class medical reform to a bill that has to be passed will get it done. This would change the case into "Not enough in Congress care about killing GA to strip the amendment off the Highway bill." Doesn't matter to me how it gets done, as long as it gets done.
The ineptness of our government never ceases to amaze me.
-Cub Builder
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An amendment to the Senate highway bill now under consideration that includes third class medical reform language has been filed by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.). The amendment, which mirrors language in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, was filed by the two senators who are longtime general aviation advocates. Manchin is also a pilot and AOPA member.
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It's pretty evident that "not enough in Congress care whether GA lives or dies to move the bill forward by itself." But perhaps attaching third class medical reform to a bill that has to be passed will get it done. This would change the case into "Not enough in Congress care about killing GA to strip the amendment off the Highway bill." Doesn't matter to me how it gets done, as long as it gets done.
The ineptness of our government never ceases to amaze me.
-Cub Builder
Here's the whole thing:
July 22, 2015
By Elizabeth A Tennyson
An amendment to the Senate highway bill now under consideration that includes third class medical reform language has been filed by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.). The amendment, which mirrors language in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, was filed by the two senators who are longtime general aviation advocates. Manchin is also a pilot and AOPA member.
“We very much want to see third class medical reform enacted by any means possible, and we appreciate the leadership of Senators Manchin and Boozman in bringing this issue forward and working to have it added to the highway bill,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Both these senators understand just how important this issue is to the general aviation community and have demonstrated that they’re willing to act to give pilots relief from the outdated and cumbersome third class medical process.”
The next step will be for the Senate to determine which amendments are allowed to come up for a vote. While it’s impossible to say whether or not the Manchin-Boozman amendment will make it to the floor in one form or another, the language it contains, which matches that in the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2), does have strong bipartisan support with nearly half the Senate signing on to that legislation as cosponsors.
It’s unclear whether agreement on a highway bill can be reached before July 31 when funding authority expires and the House begins its five-week August recess. And while the House has passed a highway bill that would extend the program until December, the Senate bill looks to authorize the program for as much as six years.
Meanwhile, support for third-class medical reform continues to grow. A July 16 AOPA call-to-action asking members to urge their elected officials to co-sponsor the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which includes third-class medical reform as well as protections for pilots facing an FAA enforcement action, resulted in nearly 70,000 contacts. Within a few days 21 more senators had added their names to the bipartisan list of cosponsors, which now includes 47 senators and 117 members of the House.
“This is a complex process and we can’t predict the outcome, but the more support we can demonstrate for third-class medical reform the better,” said Baker. “Even if you’ve contacted your senators about PBR2, call or email them again today and ask them to support the Manchin-Boozman amendment. Time is short and every voice counts!”
A complete list of co-sponsors is available on AOPA’s website and members who wish to contact their legislators can do so through the association's action page. Please note that you will need to change the letter to express support for the Manchin-Boozman amendment.
“We are determined to get third class medical reform, and lawmakers have heard our message loud and clear,” said Baker. “But this doesn’t mean we can or will rest. We’ll keep working for medical reform every day, and through every possible channel, until we get it done.”
AOPA’s pursuit of third class medical reform to expand on the successful sport pilot medical standard, which has safely allowed some pilots to fly without a third class medical certificate for more than a decade, is nothing new. In March 2012, AOPA and EAA jointly filed a petition with the FAA to expand the standard to more pilots and more types of aircraft.
In the approximately 18-months since Mark Baker took the helm at AOPA, he has continued to pursue FAA regulatory action while embarking on an effort to work with Congress to promote a legislative solution. The 2014 General Aviation Pilot Protection Act gained solid support, but time ran out in the 113th Congress before the bill could be brought to a vote. In the meantime, the FAA did develop a proposed rule to address needed changes to the third class medical process. The draft rule has been held up in the Department of Transportation review process for nearly a year with no sign of movement.
The start of the 114th Congress in January brought new legislation in the form of the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, S. 571, introduced by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Manchin. This bill has been put in amendment form (Manchin-Boozman) with the intent to attach it to the highway bill currently being considered by the Congress.
July 22, 2015
By Elizabeth A Tennyson
An amendment to the Senate highway bill now under consideration that includes third class medical reform language has been filed by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.). The amendment, which mirrors language in the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, was filed by the two senators who are longtime general aviation advocates. Manchin is also a pilot and AOPA member.
“We very much want to see third class medical reform enacted by any means possible, and we appreciate the leadership of Senators Manchin and Boozman in bringing this issue forward and working to have it added to the highway bill,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Both these senators understand just how important this issue is to the general aviation community and have demonstrated that they’re willing to act to give pilots relief from the outdated and cumbersome third class medical process.”
The next step will be for the Senate to determine which amendments are allowed to come up for a vote. While it’s impossible to say whether or not the Manchin-Boozman amendment will make it to the floor in one form or another, the language it contains, which matches that in the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2), does have strong bipartisan support with nearly half the Senate signing on to that legislation as cosponsors.
It’s unclear whether agreement on a highway bill can be reached before July 31 when funding authority expires and the House begins its five-week August recess. And while the House has passed a highway bill that would extend the program until December, the Senate bill looks to authorize the program for as much as six years.
Meanwhile, support for third-class medical reform continues to grow. A July 16 AOPA call-to-action asking members to urge their elected officials to co-sponsor the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which includes third-class medical reform as well as protections for pilots facing an FAA enforcement action, resulted in nearly 70,000 contacts. Within a few days 21 more senators had added their names to the bipartisan list of cosponsors, which now includes 47 senators and 117 members of the House.
“This is a complex process and we can’t predict the outcome, but the more support we can demonstrate for third-class medical reform the better,” said Baker. “Even if you’ve contacted your senators about PBR2, call or email them again today and ask them to support the Manchin-Boozman amendment. Time is short and every voice counts!”
A complete list of co-sponsors is available on AOPA’s website and members who wish to contact their legislators can do so through the association's action page. Please note that you will need to change the letter to express support for the Manchin-Boozman amendment.
“We are determined to get third class medical reform, and lawmakers have heard our message loud and clear,” said Baker. “But this doesn’t mean we can or will rest. We’ll keep working for medical reform every day, and through every possible channel, until we get it done.”
AOPA’s pursuit of third class medical reform to expand on the successful sport pilot medical standard, which has safely allowed some pilots to fly without a third class medical certificate for more than a decade, is nothing new. In March 2012, AOPA and EAA jointly filed a petition with the FAA to expand the standard to more pilots and more types of aircraft.
In the approximately 18-months since Mark Baker took the helm at AOPA, he has continued to pursue FAA regulatory action while embarking on an effort to work with Congress to promote a legislative solution. The 2014 General Aviation Pilot Protection Act gained solid support, but time ran out in the 113th Congress before the bill could be brought to a vote. In the meantime, the FAA did develop a proposed rule to address needed changes to the third class medical process. The draft rule has been held up in the Department of Transportation review process for nearly a year with no sign of movement.
The start of the 114th Congress in January brought new legislation in the form of the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, S. 571, introduced by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Manchin. This bill has been put in amendment form (Manchin-Boozman) with the intent to attach it to the highway bill currently being considered by the Congress.
This is hear say so take it for what's worth, but I talked with one of aero-Med guys here at Oshkosh today. After getting told the standard line that I should be happy that the FAA had already submitted the rule. I pressed that it has been over a year with no action, and he said they were still studying it, including statistic of 5 LSA medical incapacity relate incidents in a population of 5000 LSA pilots that is being extrapolated to mean that there will be 120 private pilot incidents if the drivers license medical is approved, that there is not enough historical data to make a decision, and that it isn't a good idea because some people who have drivers licenses shouldn't even be driving like his 90 year old relative; I was then quietly told it was the upper levels in FAA/DOT, and influence of the presidential administration standing in the way of the reform moving forward. He also stated that most likely the change would have to come from congress as a result.
The AME's seem to forget that EVERY pilot "self certifies" whether they are fit to fly from ATP's to Sport Pilots...current medical or not.
I believe there is negative administration pressure on this issue and it probably is as popular as the Keystone Pipeline at 1600 PA Ave...not many things will come out of this administration that will benefit airplane owners...IMHO.
I believe there is negative administration pressure on this issue and it probably is as popular as the Keystone Pipeline at 1600 PA Ave...not many things will come out of this administration that will benefit airplane owners...IMHO.
Richgj3
BENEFACTOR
LI,NY
And there it is. There are WAY MORE than 5000 people flying AS sport pilots with higher ratings and the FAA has NO WAY to count them.
When I stopped getting my medical 10 years and 1000 accident free hours ago the FAA had and still has no idea if I gave up flying, moved to China or died.
I'm pretty sure they are not interested in knowing.
Rich
When I stopped getting my medical 10 years and 1000 accident free hours ago the FAA had and still has no idea if I gave up flying, moved to China or died.
I'm pretty sure they are not interested in knowing.
Rich
yellowbird69
FRIEND
Exeter N.H.---Spruce Creek Fly-in(7FL6) Daytona Be
remember the airline age 60 thing????? same rhetoric(read BS)---Capt Cub
Cub Builder
MEMBER
North Central AR
Was anyone actually under the impression the FAA would act on their own??? Really? It won't happen unless it is forced upon them. the FAA is a bunch of professional foot draggers.
There aren't enough in Congress that care about this small sector to push the bill out of committee, or for that matter, to even be heard by the committees. So attach it to another bill that has to be passed. So rather than becoming a question of enough in Congress to make it happen, it becomes a question of whether there are enough members of Congress against it to kill the amendment. The president doesn't have line item veto power, so has to approve or kill the bill in the form it's presented. He's not going to veto a highway bill over something as trivial as a few pilots. It's an approach that could work, so throw your support behind it and write your congress critters once again.
-Cub Builder
There aren't enough in Congress that care about this small sector to push the bill out of committee, or for that matter, to even be heard by the committees. So attach it to another bill that has to be passed. So rather than becoming a question of enough in Congress to make it happen, it becomes a question of whether there are enough members of Congress against it to kill the amendment. The president doesn't have line item veto power, so has to approve or kill the bill in the form it's presented. He's not going to veto a highway bill over something as trivial as a few pilots. It's an approach that could work, so throw your support behind it and write your congress critters once again.
-Cub Builder
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
What he said. I've never felt that FAA has ANY interest in moving something even vaguely resembling this forward......these are the guys who are inserting MORE onerous requirements (sleep disorders, etc) NOT less restrictions.
in my opinion, the only way this'll get done is Congress, and it doesn't have the legs to pass by itself. If it did, I'm betting it'd get veto' by our fearless leader. So, attaching it as a rider is necessary.
And, don't forget that even if Congress passes it, nothing happens till the FAA implements regulations. Consider what's going on with drones.
Im not planning anything but LSA for a good while. I hope I'm wrong.
MTV
RanchPilot
Registered User
Wyoming
Check out this BS from the Airline Pilots Association. Somehow, miraculously, we've survived the last 10 years' worth of sport pilots without any of them managing to run into an airliner because they didn't have a medical.
Give me an f'ing break. If I was a member of ALPA, I'd be embarrassed by this nonsense. Follow the money, I guess. I wonder who's paying for this position?
.................................................
June 23, 2015
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the 52,000 pilots at 31 passenger and cargo airlines represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), I want to make you aware of ALPA’s opposition to S.Amdt.2267, filed by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to H.R. 22. ALPA disagrees with the process and is fundamentally opposed to the dangerous policy shift proposed in the Manchin amendment. We do not believe a complex issue such as this should be attached to a surface transportation bill—especially in a year when both chambers must take up an FAA reauthorization bill that deals directly with issues such as this.
The amendment is a modified version of S. 571, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Specifically, ALPA has grave concerns with how this amendment addresses the 3rd class medical requirement for general aviation pilots.
This legislation has the potential to allow medically unfit pilots unfettered access to the national airspace at altitudes up to 18,000 feet, which also includes commercial airline traffic carrying passengers and cargo. The amendment would eliminate the requirement that these pilots see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) at regular intervals for mental and physical evaluation in order to show medical fitness to operate an aircraft. It also reduces the number of medical conditions that could disqualify a pilot from receiving a medical certificate and relies on the pilot to self-report when a disqualifying condition is identified. Even if a pilot develops and discloses a serious medical condition that creates risk in the national airspace, the amendment could prevent the FAA from ensuring that the pilot seek treatment.
ALPA has engaged with stakeholders to address concerns about medical evaluation processes for pilots who hold a 3rd class medical and intends to continue collaboration to ensure aviation safety for all pilots and passengers; however, we cannot allow bad policy to be forced through on an unrelated bill. A common-sense solution is within reach, but the amendment as written introduces a level of risk within the national airspace, which we cannot support.
We urge you to vote no on the Manchin amendment.
Sincerely,
Tim Canoll, President
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Give me an f'ing break. If I was a member of ALPA, I'd be embarrassed by this nonsense. Follow the money, I guess. I wonder who's paying for this position?
.................................................
June 23, 2015
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the 52,000 pilots at 31 passenger and cargo airlines represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), I want to make you aware of ALPA’s opposition to S.Amdt.2267, filed by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to H.R. 22. ALPA disagrees with the process and is fundamentally opposed to the dangerous policy shift proposed in the Manchin amendment. We do not believe a complex issue such as this should be attached to a surface transportation bill—especially in a year when both chambers must take up an FAA reauthorization bill that deals directly with issues such as this.
The amendment is a modified version of S. 571, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. Specifically, ALPA has grave concerns with how this amendment addresses the 3rd class medical requirement for general aviation pilots.
This legislation has the potential to allow medically unfit pilots unfettered access to the national airspace at altitudes up to 18,000 feet, which also includes commercial airline traffic carrying passengers and cargo. The amendment would eliminate the requirement that these pilots see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) at regular intervals for mental and physical evaluation in order to show medical fitness to operate an aircraft. It also reduces the number of medical conditions that could disqualify a pilot from receiving a medical certificate and relies on the pilot to self-report when a disqualifying condition is identified. Even if a pilot develops and discloses a serious medical condition that creates risk in the national airspace, the amendment could prevent the FAA from ensuring that the pilot seek treatment.
ALPA has engaged with stakeholders to address concerns about medical evaluation processes for pilots who hold a 3rd class medical and intends to continue collaboration to ensure aviation safety for all pilots and passengers; however, we cannot allow bad policy to be forced through on an unrelated bill. A common-sense solution is within reach, but the amendment as written introduces a level of risk within the national airspace, which we cannot support.
We urge you to vote no on the Manchin amendment.
Sincerely,
Tim Canoll, President
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Gordon Misch
MEMBER
Toledo, Wa (KTDO)
No kidding! What a horrendously increased "level of risk" (as their letter words it) we would present!
Maybe as an organization, the ALPA would prefer not to have any of us little buzzers in "their" airspace. Sorta like truckers get annoyed by us "four-wheelers", and like we don't want drones in "our" airspace. I'm guessing here, but - - - Regardless, I agree with you - what a bunch of unsubstantiable nonsense from "professionals"!
Maybe as an organization, the ALPA would prefer not to have any of us little buzzers in "their" airspace. Sorta like truckers get annoyed by us "four-wheelers", and like we don't want drones in "our" airspace. I'm guessing here, but - - - Regardless, I agree with you - what a bunch of unsubstantiable nonsense from "professionals"!
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
I totally agree with you in spades RanchPilot. ALPA has done a lot of good things for the airline industry however it has been all totally self serving with a "head stuck in the sand mentality". They have an "Our way or the highway" attitude which uses the thought process that no one other than airline pilots belong in the sky. Those pilots who rise through the ranks in ALPA all seem to have this same attitude and have forgotten that they too started at the bottom. They really do have to move away from the "I've got mine so screw you" frame of mind. As an alumnus of the industry, I can assure you that this is a wide spread attitude among the leaders of the group. Most of them do not enjoy the type of aviating which is so cohesive here on SC.org.
The above letter from Tim Canoll should be a strong incentive to flood Congress with massive support for this bill. Don't forget that most ALPA operated flights leave the traffic pattern at 3,000+ feet and head for the stratosphere as rapidly as possible. Far far away from us peons.
WhiskeyMike
MEMBER
West Boxford MA
Historically, the airline industry has been anti-GA for as many decades as I can remember - at least for the past 40 years plus. Don't confuse this with logic.
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
I spent 21 years in the "airline industry" and never detected this bias. But I was not a member of ALPA.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
You are correct Eddie, it is the leadership not the membership. It is the leaders who set the pace. The bulk of the members are just along for the ride.
Eddie Foy
MEMBER
South Florida
true, unfortunately. The average airline pilot wants nothing to do with politics. The airline types that aspire to hold Union office are too much like politicians or they just want to bash heads with the company. The line pilot just wants to fly his trip and get on with his life without the drama.
my opinion. YMMV.
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I've never tried to run into an airliner or even a FedEx plane but they have always appeared to be very hard to catch.
I agree this looks like a political play and most likely would not have the backing of the ALPA membership. ALSO agree with Sky regarding mounting a last minute rush on Congress ASAP. My guess is after next Wednesday their minds will shift to their August break and not the people's business. Both my senators in Idaho are backing the amendment but there are 45 other senators who need to be convinced to go with the PBR2 amendment....we need at least 5 more...most are Demo but not all so whatever pressure we can provide can't hurt our cause.
Good luck folks!!
I agree this looks like a political play and most likely would not have the backing of the ALPA membership. ALSO agree with Sky regarding mounting a last minute rush on Congress ASAP. My guess is after next Wednesday their minds will shift to their August break and not the people's business. Both my senators in Idaho are backing the amendment but there are 45 other senators who need to be convinced to go with the PBR2 amendment....we need at least 5 more...most are Demo but not all so whatever pressure we can provide can't hurt our cause.
Good luck folks!!