January 10, 2007

Rep. Tom Petri:  I'm quite pleased to have been named the ranking member - in other words, the leading Republican - on the House Aviation Subcommittee.

This subcommittee will handle the most important legislation to come before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during the current Congress. With the current aviation program expiring this year, and with many other important issues coming before the Subcommittee, we are going to have a full plate.

Obviously, aviation is a major presence in our part of Wisconsin. We are the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Basler Turbo Conversion, and Oshkosh Truck, which is the leading manufacturer of aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicles. Aviation is also vitally important to our country.

I am excited and eager to dive in, and I'm looking forward to working with Representative John Mica of Florida, the new ranking member of the full transportation committee to get the job done.