By a vote of 93-6, the Senate voted this afternoon to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302). Now that both the House and Senate have passed identical bills, the legislation will go to President Trump for his signature.
The measure is the result of nearly two years of work and includes many provisions that will benefit TWU members, passengers, and our national aviation system. With the final bill now passed, we will soon provide TWU members a final analysis of the bill.
International President John Samuelsen issued the statement below in response to its final passage:
“The TWU applauds the overwhelming passage of H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Today’s vote signals strong bipartisan support for our national aviation system and the front line workers who make air transportation possible each and every day.
“The bipartisan bill provides five years of renewed investment in our aviation network, while taking demonstrable steps toward improving the safety of passengers and workers on the frontlines. These measures include guaranteeing flight attendants 10 hours of rest, assessing the health effects of bleed air, and mitigating assault of customer service agents, among other positive provisions.
“We commend the leadership of Reps. Shuster, DeFazio, LoBiondo, and Larsen, and Senators Thune, Nelson, Blunt, and Cantwell for their hard work getting this bipartisan legislation passed. While not perfect, H.R. 302 is a successful bill, and we encourage the President to quickly sign it into law.”