User-fee supporter Rockefeller heads Senate Commerce Committee
By Tom Norton
General Aviation News
2/9/2009

Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV) is the new chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee. Long a crusader to force general aviation to pay more
into the Airport and Airways Trust Fund, Rockefeller was the author of last
year’s failed Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill, which
included user fees for general aviation. One reason the bill failed to pass
was Rockefeller’s user fee intransigence.

“I don’t want to create a system where airline passengers subsidize
corporate jets,” Rockefeller said at that time, appealing to Senate
populists. With corporate jets on the Senate’s current target list, that
statement could carry more weight this year, GA proponents fear.

Rockefeller has threatened to “look for ways to limit general aviation
access to congested airspace” unless corporate aviation is required to pay
his proposed user fees. As chairman of the Commerce Committee, which holds
a powerful influence over FAA actions, his threats must be taken more
seriously.