WARNOCK AMENDMENT PASSES SENATE: Senator Reverend Warnock’s Bipartisan Aviation Workforce Amendment Added to Government Funding Package

The Warnock-Cornyn amendment would improve the FAA’s workforce programs by requiring the Department of Transportation to report on the effectiveness of the FAA’s workforce development grant programs, proposals on how to better implement programs

As a member of the committee overseeing national aviation policy, Senator Reverend Warnock’s bipartisan amendment reflects his continued leadership to bolster key Georgia economic sector, create a 21st century workforce

This summer, Senator Reverend Warnock visited Savannah to hear from Georgians at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport about local aviation needs

In April, Senator Reverend Warnock met with aviation leaders and workers at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport to hear about the challenges and opportunities the industry faces

In June, Senator Reverend Warnock announced a legislative package to address his top aviation priorities, including reinvigorating the industry’s workforce

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) successfully secured a provision in a Fiscal Year 2024 government funding package focused on strengthening the nation’s ability to recruit and train the next generation of pilots, engineers, and other aviation workers. Senator Warnock’s bipartisan aviation workforce amendment was passed unanimously by voice vote, before being added as a provision to the FY 2024 government funding bills currently under consideration in the Senate. As the country faces a workforce shortage affecting our aviation industry, the Senator’s amendment requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on whether, and the degree to which, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) workforce development grant programs have:

Helped to expand the pool of prospective applicants to the industry;
Strengthened aviation programs at minority-serving institutions, public institutions of higher education, women-focused institutions, and public postsecondary vocational institutions; and
Encouraged the participation of populations that are underrepresented in the aviation workforce, including women, minorities, and individuals in economically disadvantaged geographic areas and rural communities.

Senator Warnock’s provision would also require the FAA to provide recommendations on how the agency can better use its workforce development programs to advance these objectives. This provision is a continuation of Senator Warnock’s extensive work to build a resilient and sustainable workforce for the 21st century that is representative of the nation’s growing diversity. The government funding legislation, including Senator Warnock’s provision, are expected to pass the Senate in the coming days.

As a member of the Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the FAA and other key transportation policy matters, Senator Warnock serves an important role in shaping aviation policy for Georgia and the nation. With more than 108,000 employees across 800 different aviation companies, including industry giants such as Delta and Gulfstream, and as home to the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Georgia is one of this country’s most important aviation states.

Cosponsors of Senator Warnock’s amendment included Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tom Carper (D-DE) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

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