January 26, 2010
What’s at Issue:
Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives spend a lot of time in Washington, but they also spend valuable time in their states and districts during scheduled congressional recess, such as the upcoming week of President’s Day. Members of Congress take these opportunities to visit with constituents – the perfect time for NATA members to request their Senators and Representatives to tour their facilities.
In 2009, NATA and the general aviation community fought the battle against the misconceptions of the value of general aviation during a time of great recession. As we begin 2010, we must work together to educate the public and especially Members of Congress and their staff on the important role general aviation plays and its economic value to our country. In addition, we will likely face a number of legislative hurdles this year, which is another reason to reach out to your elected officials and let them know how it affects YOU, their constituent. The inevitable passage of FAA Reauthorization, a possible user fee on general aviation in the president’s budget, and aviation security measure will likely be the most pressing legislative hurdles this year.
A tour of your facility is a valuable way to inform key congressional leaders on the principal issues confronting our national air transportation system while allowing you to address also other issues affecting your business. This one-on-one interaction will give Members of Congress and their staff a better understanding of the value of America’s aviation businesses and airline services companies. In addition, NATA members can introduce their business to new and prospective Members of Congress, and forge stronger relationships with existing Members.
To implement this program at your facility, it is best to schedule a tour when Congress is not in session. Listed below are the tentative dates for the remainder of the year that Congress will be in recess. Additionally, Congress is usually not in session on Mondays and Fridays during the week, so tours could potentially be arranged on those days.
What to Do:
We have drafted sample letters you can use to invite your Member of Congress for a tour and have made them available on the NATA Web site:
Sample letter from an NATA aviation business member.
Sample letter from an NATA airline services company member.
Please use one of the links above to access the appropriate letter and proceed in the following manner:
1. Select a date, time and place. While you will only put one date and time option in the letter, please remember that you will need to be flexible if the Member of Congress is going to agree. We suggest that you select a time between the following dates, as Congress will be in recess and Members will be home in their districts and states:
2010 Updated Congressional Schedule: (House and Senate)
February 15-19 – President’s Day District Work Period (House & Senate)
March 29 – April 9 – Easter Recess (House & Senate)
May 31 – June 4 – Memorial Day Recess (House & Senate)
July 5-9 – Independence Day Recess (House & Senate)
August 9 – September 10 – August Recess (House & Senate)
October 8 — Target Adjournment (House)
TBD – Target Adjournment (Senate)
2. Print the draft letter on your letterhead, filling in the date, time and place. Also, we encourage you to add a few sentences to personalize the form letter to address specific concerns related to your company and/or airport. An electronic copy of this letter, in Microsoft Word format, is available on NATA’s Web site. You can locate the contact information for your Senator or Representative on the Internet at either www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. Feel free to share a draft of the letter with NATA before sending it out.
3. When sending out the letter, be sure to send both a hard copy of the letter as well as a fax copy. You can also visit your Senator’s or Representative’s Web page for an email address. To make sure the letter reaches the proper assistant, it is best to send your letter to both the official’s Washington, DC office and the nearest local office.
4. Please provide a copy of your letter to Kristen Moore, NATA’s legislative affairs director. Upon receiving a copy of the letter, NATA will call the scheduler for your Member of Congress to ensure that the letter was received and properly routed. This will also enable NATA to gauge the interest of the office and begin the negotiation process. Following this contact, NATA may call you to discuss what steps need to be taken to ensure that your Member of Congress accepts your invitation.
5. After your Member of Congress accepts the invitation, NATA will work with you regarding the actual tour, specific points you will want to make with your Member of Congress, background information on your Member of Congress, the status of current aviation issues, and other issues that may arise. NATA can provide you with applicable fact sheets, white papers and informational handouts to enhance the exchange of information with your Member of Congress.
Thank you in advance for your time in sponsoring a congressional tour. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Kristen Moore at (800) 808-6282 or by email at kmoore@nata.aero.
Staff Contact:
Kristen Moore
Director, Legislative Affairs
NATA
kmoore@nata.aero