Transportation

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee, today announced two Federal Aviation Administration grants. One grant is a reimbursement for $28.5 million spent in reconstructing Taxiways Y and T. A second grant for $14.7 million funds the fifth phase of the rehabilitation of the Memphis International Airport's Concourse B.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) urged Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to honor today's request from several airlines not to use their services to transport immigrant children separated from their parents as a result of the Trump Administration's "Zero Tolerance" policy. He made the following statement:

"The desire by American Airlines and other airlines to avoid being parties to a Trump Administration policy decision separating children from their parents on the border is an example of good corporate citizenship.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who introduced the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act to require the FAA to establish minimum seat sizes and distances between rows to help address concerns about the safe evacuation of airplanes in emergencies, applauded this week's decision by the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Transportation (DOT) to audit the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of the actual time it takes to safely evacuate various aircraft models.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today applauded the announcement that Memphis has been awarded a $71.2 million U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant for roadway repairs and capacity upgrades to Lamar Avenue, a regionally and nationally important intermodal freight corridor in the Distribution Hub of America, the City of Memphis. He made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Transportation Committee's Aviation Subcommittee, joined Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao today in announcing the selection of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority's application to operate as a test site for integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the nation's airspace.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (UASIPP) will demonstrate new and expanded commercial drone systems and expedite their safe use.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the Aviation Subcommittee, hailed this morning's House passage of the bipartisan SEAT Act, which will require the FAA to establish minimum seat sizes and minimum distances between rows to protect the health and safety of passengers. The bill passed the House as part of a broader Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization package by a vote of 393 to 13.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) expressed disappointment upon learning that his Forbid Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Amendment was blocked by the Republican-led Rules Committee Tuesday night and will not receive a floor vote when the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill is debated on the House floor later this week.

He made the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) went to the House floor this afternoon to commend recent acts of heroism by Southwest Airlines Pilot Tammie Jo Shults and Waffle House patron James Shaw Jr. whose courageous acts saved lives. See his remarks here.

"Malevolent actions and accidents give an opportunity for people to rise to heroic actions," Congressman Cohen said. "America is a country familiar with heroes."