Legislation Seeks to Allow Driver's License Medical

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Originally Posted by Jeff Boatright

Why not? He signed into law the Pilot's Bill of Rights in 2012 and the Small Airplane Revitalization Act in 2013. Why wouldn't he sign a bill in 2014 that fits that record in terms of general aviation?

Beyond that focused view of the issue, it's also unlikely Obama would veto this bill or one like it because Obama tends to not use the veto. Obama has vetoed 2 bills during his presidency, with neither overridden. GW Bush vetoed 12; 4 overridden. Clinton vetoed 37; 2 overridden. GWH Bush vetoed 44; 1 overridden. Reagan vetoed 78; 9 overridden. You'd have to go all the way back to Garfield to find a president who vetoed fewer bills than Obama, and Garfield was president for only 6.5 months.

Contrary to what many people seem to think, Obama has pushed pretty hard to get Congress, whether run by his party or by Republicans, to do it's job of legislating, and he hasn't second-guessed them much with vetoes. Now, whether Congress has really been doing it's job is another matter… ;)

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Jeff....You are so correct.:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by gdskoog

“...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”.

Declaration of Independence, T. Jefferson

I take my role as PIC very seriously and on my determining my fitness to fly and the repercussion of that decision on my passengers and those who are on the ground along my route. That is why I sought out the best training and instructors in my area. My recurrent training is one of choice, not obligation. If I decide I am fit to fly... I fly. I use FAA FARs as a source of procedural consistency, not as an entity of approval. Congressional action, State statute or any other form of governmental entity is also referenced as a source of procedural consistency of my flying not as a permitting entity. Should I fail to be granted a Third Class medical in the future I will still go out to the airfield, stand in front of my aircraft and decide if I am capable of operating my aircraft safely. My decision to take a machine off the ground and into the sky has always been, is now, and always will be one of ethics and honor. What plastic or paper forms I have in my possession are of little relevance. If the sitting government decides to take my plastic and paper forms and I still determine I am of sound health to fly... I will fly. If the government becomes aware of my flying without benefit of plastic and paper documents and places me in confinement; on the day I am released from that confinement IF I DETERMINE I am safe to operate an aircraft... I will fly. My consent to be governed is now and will always be overt, NOT tacit. Every decision in life, major or minor is a function of ethics and risk management. If you choose to live your life in fear of what a government entity MAY DO to you... you have already forfeited that which is of most important in this life.

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Yes, we still live in a free country and you can choose to ignore any law you don't agree with, and we have prisons full of people who have done that, some are repeat offenders. Keep in mind that Congress elected by the people established the regulatory agencies and ceded the "power" to regulate with congressional oversight. The current bill before the house is an example of that oversight and I would suggest that we may some more congressional actions coming in other areas the agency overreach in the next few years.

Joe
:cool:

This bill picked up 4 new sponsors yesterday and now has 32 Co-sponsors.:
New Cosponsor: Rep. Spencer Bachus [R-AL6]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie [R-KY2]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Dennis Ross [R-FL15]

-CubBuilder

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Originally Posted by cub builder

This bill picked up 4 new sponsors yesterday and now has 32 Co-sponsors.:
New Cosponsor: Rep. Spencer Bachus [R-AL6]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R-NJ11]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie [R-KY2]
New Cosponsor: Rep. Dennis Ross [R-FL15]

-CubBuilder

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Please don't pile on with the politics, but where are the Democrats? House passed SARA unanimously, how come nearly no Democratic Congressperson has signed on?

EAA/AOPA- what is the plan to rally us aviators to energize our representives?

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Originally Posted by TedK

Please don't pile on with the politics, but where are the Democrats? House passed SARA unanimously, how come nearly no Democratic Congressperson has signed on?

EAA/AOPA- what is the plan to rally us aviators to energize our representives?

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Agreed. 3 Ds and 28 Rs on this one, whereas the two previous pilot-friendly bills had much more balance. One of the original sponsors was Petereson (D-MN), so it's not clear to me at all why there aren't more Democrats on board. Could be a timing thing, could be a subcommittee thing. I certainly haven't contacted my congressman (Lewis, D-GA), so I'm as guilty of inactivity as anyone.

Possibly EAA has some insight?

Good question Jeff!.

If my memory serves me GW Bush was a fan of user fees, and so it seems is the current President. Given the very small number of "RINO's" on the GOP side and "Moderates" on the left, we get most of the party positions staked-out by the "leadership". The airlines play a big role in that fight, and they all have to get re-elected ($$$). One of the GOP's major themes is big govt and "overreach" so they have jumped on the 3rd class medical issue as yet another example of that. Both parties represent different segments of the population and while the $ is with the airlines the votes are in the GA population. It's unlikely that this bill will ever see a vote, but it's good "politics" to jump on the bandwagon. I'm not taking any political position here, just looking at the behavior pattern. Remember that we have about 500 people sitting in Congress who have very comfortable life styles and don't want to loose them. Most are there because they tell their voters what they want to hear!

Joe
:P

Our friends in the Senate have introduced a companion bill to the House on their side of the Hill. :)

See http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...px?CMP=ADV%3A1