Last week's elections were not only important from a
partisan point of view, but a potentially big deal for general aviation as
well. AOPA's legislative affairs department reports that of the candidates
supported by AOPA, 90 percent were elected to serve in the 108th Congress. In
the House, 93 percent of the AOPA-supported candidates were elected, while in
the Senate, 78 percent of supported candidates won their seat on Capitol Hill.
"This is a victory for general aviation," said AOPA President Phil
Boyer. "Several key friends who are pilots, such as Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-
Okla.), Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.), and Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) are
returning to Congress. And several new pilot members of Congress, including
four AOPA members newly elected to the House of Representatives, are coming on
board." Of AOPA's congressional buddies not re-elected, Georgia Democrat
Sen. Max Cleland lost his seat to Republican Congressman Saxby Chambliss. Sen.
John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- who has not always agreed with AOPA -- will take the
gavel from Senator Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) to chair the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees the Department of
Transportation and FAA, and authors the legislation on spending limits for
those agencies.
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