A dispute between the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee has lead Congress to pass two temporary FAA authorization extensions. The dispute is over whether upgrades to the air traffic control System should be funded through a $25 per flight user fee or by raising the existing excise tax on aviation and jet fuel. I believe that Congress imposing a new tax in the form of per flight user fee would create an unnecessary government bureaucracy and put a financial strain on general aviation and related businesses. Increasing the existing excise fuel tax is the simplest and most efficient way to fund FAA operations and necessary upgrades to the air traffic control system. General aviation is very important part of Oklahoma’s aerospace industry and also serves as a great asset to other industries throughout Oklahoma. I will not support a FAA reauthorization bill that creates a new tax that will negatively impact general aviation and Oklahoma’s aerospace industry.