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Statement from John W. Douglass, AIA President and CEO on the Aeronautics Research and Development Revitalization Act of 2003

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 26- The Aerospace Industries Association strongly commends Senators George Allen (R-VA), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Congressman John Larson (D-CT) for their leadership and initiative in crafting and introducing legislation to increase investment in aeronautics research and development. Provisions in the bill correlate with the recommendation in the final report of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry to significantly increase investment in aerospace R&D. The aerospace industry thanks the sponsors and co-sponsors of the bill for taking a bipartisan approach to counter a dramatic decline in U.S. research and development spending in aeronautics. Federal research and development in the aerospace industry dropped 75 percent from 1987 to 2000 after adjusting for inflation.

The sponsors of the bill recognized a trend of significant decline in federal investment in aerospace technology, particularly as compared to the European Union, which has launched an ambitious program to surpass aerospace development in the U.S. by the year 2020. The bill reflects the sponsors' commitment to maintain dominance of the global aerospace market, secure American jobs, and strengthen our national security.

The initiatives proposed in the bill will improve the quality of life for Americans, developing technologies to create aircraft with greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and lower noise impacts on communities surrounding airports. It is a five-year authorization bill that would increase funding for NASA's Aeronautics R&D budget to $1.15 billion, and to $550 million for the FAA by 2007. Other initiatives in the legislation propose to fund rotorcraft R&D, supersonic transport, and an improved air traffic control system.

Co-sponsors include:
• Rep Davis, Jo Ann - 2/5/2003 [VA-1]
• Rep Dicks, Norman D. - 2/12/2003 [WA-6]
• Rep Eshoo, Anna G. - 2/5/2003 [CA-14]
• Rep Forbes, J. Randy - 2/5/2003 [VA-4]
• Rep Frost, Martin - 2/12/2003 [TX-24]
• Rep Honda, Michael M. - 2/5/2003 [CA-15]
• Rep Israel, Steve - 2/12/2003 [NY-2]
• Rep Lampson, Nick - 2/12/2003 [TX-9]
• Rep McDermott, Jim - 2/5/2003 [WA-7]
• Rep Schrock, Edward L. - 2/5/2003 [VA-2]
• Rep Simmons, Rob - 2/5/2003 [CT-2]
• Rep Weldon, Curt - 2/5/2003 [PA-7]
• Rep Wexler, Robert - 2/12/2003 [FL-19]
• Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. - 2/5/2003 [CA-6]

P.A. Rel 2003-10

02.26.03

-AIA-

Contact: Matt Grimison, AIA
(202) 371-8548
matt.grimison@aia-aerospace.org