Seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation met at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 Saturday for a special panel discussion and Q&A session about the issue on the minds of most aviation enthusiasts: user fees. Attending were Rep. Thomas Petri, in whose district AirVenture resides (R-Wisconsin); Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii); Candace Miller (R-Michigan); Jerry Costello, subcommittee chairman (D-Illinois); Vern Ehlers (R-Michigan); Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa); and Sam Graves (R-Missouri).

All wore buttons professing "EAAers Unite: Say No to User Fees," and they backed those sentiments with their words.

"This is my first visit here, but I can tell you, this will not be my last visit to Oshkosh," Costello said in his opening remarks. "Every member here and those who serve on the committee unanimously rejected user fees in the House bill. We think the current structure adequately funds not only the air traffic control system, but future technology.

"We will fight very hard for one, no user fees, and two, safeguards so that we continue to have the safest aviation system in the world."

The House bill, H.R. 2881, enjoys broad bipartisan support, and is the bill GA industry organizations, including EAA, back strongly for funding the nation’s aviation system.

Boswell applauded the work done by EAA and the other leading GA organizations in mobilizing support for the House bill. "All of you are here for a reason," he said. "It’s a big challenge, and you can thank these (GA organizations) guys—they are on the job."

Miller, whose husband built an RV-8, said the silver lining in the user fee issue is that the GA community has presented a unified front against it. "It’s so important to have the people on the front lines working on this," she said.

Hirono said the financial burden shifting advocated by the user-fee proposals would be very harmful to general aviation. "Hawaii is a state that’s very dependent on aviation. At the same time, I understand where general aviation is coming from," she said. "I get correspondence from the airlines wanting user fees, but I think that would wreak havoc on general aviation."

She also is very impressed by the innovation and creativity on display at Oshkosh, particularly the light-sport aircraft. "It’s great to see what’s going on here."

Ehlers, who pronounced the original FAA proposal "dead on arrival" at the first subcommittee meeting on user fees, said that he meant what he said. "Not as a political statement, but as a scientific reality," he clarified. Ehlers urged those present to contact their elected officials—senators and representatives—to make their positions known on the issue. "That is the power you have," he said.

Graves, who has been among the most outspoken members on the issue, emphasized the importance of the GA organizations at the forefront. "It means a lot to be in those organizations, and I am proud to be associated with all of them," he said.

EAA President Tom Poberezny, who moderated the Q&A session, stressed the battle is about votes. "The people who come to Oshkosh every year are passionate about aviation. Aviation makes many great contributions; it’s important to the economic growth in this country, and we need to grow, not constrict, the industry.

"We can’t slow aviation, we have to grow aviation," Poberezny added.

All the legislators attending Saturday’s session agreed the most important point AirVenture attendees and others with an interest in the issue should take from the forum is to contact the people who represent them in Washington, including President Bush, to emphasize their stance against user fees.

They suggested sending letters, calling, e-mailing—whatever it takes—to let legislators know that user fees are not only unnecessary, but they do not provide as much needed revenue for the future of aviation as does the current, tax-based system. User fees also will create a need for a costly new revenue collection system.

Time is also becoming a factor. Costello stressed that there is lot of pressure to get appropriations legislation on the floor, and that the existing FAA authorization expires on September 30, 2007. That means both houses need to pass their bills, then a conference committee will be required to hammer out a final version.

"Time is of the essence," he said. "The only way we will win is if you take action, and take action immediately."

Together, we can defeat user fees in Congress. Here’s how...

We can defeat the user fees proposal," U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) told a crowd of about 150 Saturday afternoon at the EAA Member Village during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007.

There are two bills in Congress, he reminded attendees. The House bill, H.R. 2881, would impose a modest fuel tax increase on piston aircraft (an additional 4.8 cents per gallon) and turbine aircraft (up 8.8 cents per gallon) and leave the airline fuel tax unchanged (at 4.3 cents a gallon). The House bill, said Inhofe, is a good one, and he urged attendees to call their U.S. representatives next week, asking them to support H.R. 2881.

The Senate bill, S. 1300, is bad for GA, he said, because it would leave the fuel tax for piston aircraft unchanged (19.3 cents/gallon), increase the turbine fuel tax by 27.2 cents per gallon (to 49.1 cents/gal), and add a surcharge of $25 per flight for turbine aircraft. It would also eliminate the airlines’ 4.3 cent/gallon fuel tax and replace it with a $25/flight surcharge.

An amendment to the Senate bill offered by Inhofe would bring it into conformity with the House bill. Wait until EAA and AOPA notify you that the Senate bill is coming up for a vote, he urged, then call your senators and ask them to support the Inhofe Amendment to S. 1300.

"Don’t call them now," Inhofe said. "Wait until you hear from EAA and AOPA. Then call."

And don’t use preprinted postcards or letters you just sign and send, he added. "They don’t mean anything in Washington," he said. "They go straight into the wastebasket. You have to personalize your message."

"If you all flood the Congress with calls when the Senate bill comes up," he said, "we can pass the Inhofe Amendment and defeat user fees."