Senator Gary Peters, bailing out the airline industry, failing to tax Private Jet users

Last week, I posted a response I received from Senator Debbie Stabenow, when I sent her an action alert message asking that she endorse the “FATCAT Act” (standing for Fueling Alternative Transportation with a Carbon Aviation Tax), which would hike fuel taxes on private jets from the current 22 cents a gallon to $1.95 per gallon.

The response from Stabenow had nothing to do with my message to her about supporting the proposed bill to tax Private Jet users. Today, I received a similar response from Senator Gary Peters. Senator Peters also either refused to respond to my asking him to support the FATCAT Act or his response was merely a canned response to any message they receive having to do with the aviation industry. Here is Senator Peters’ response: 

Thank you for contacting me regarding our nation’s aviation policy and related infrastructure and services. I appreciate you taking the time to express your views. Hearing directly from Michiganders like you helps inform me of the issues that matter to our state. I’m so grateful for your input. 

Our aviation sector is incredibly important to Michigan and to our nation’s economy. Having robust aviation services and workforce enables the movement of goods and people around the United States and the world, and helps keeps us competitive in the global economy. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, as well as a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation—which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—I am committed to ensuring the safety and success of our nation’s aviation sector.  

In 2018, I helped pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which made critical investments in airport infrastructure, increased safety in the national airspace system, and strengthened customer service practices across the commercial aviation sector. The legislation also delivered strong support to rural areas in Michigan and across the nation by continuing the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program, which helps ensure there is commercial air service in smaller communities. Furthermore, this bill authorized a new aviation workforce development program to support the education and recruitment of workers in the aviation industry, including pilots and aviation maintenance technical workers. In addition, the bill updated the FAA’s oversight of Unmanned Aerial Systems, also known as drones, to promote safety while also fostering technological innovation. 

More recently, I was proud to support the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law on March 11, 2021 and helped our aviation industry respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this bill provided $8 billion in funding to help airlines and airports keep operating and keep workers employed. The FAA issued grants to all airports that are part of our national airport system, including all commercial service airports, all reliever airports, and some public-owned general aviation airports. In addition, I was proud to help pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan bill that made historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure. This legislation provided $25 billion in funding for airports and air traffic control infrastructure to ensure they are equipped for the future of the aviation industry. The law also supports research into clean energy and sustainable aviation fuels, which are critical for reducing harmful emissions and combatting climate change. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021.

As you can see, Senator Peters never actually responds to my message, which again, was about proposed legislation that would tax Private Jets users. Instead, Senator Peters rambles on about how he helped bail out the airline industry during the pandemic, a bailout that had a $25 Billion price tag.

So, Senator Peters brags about providing bailout money to the airline industry, which means the public is bailing them out, but says nothing about supporting the increased taxation of private jet users. I thought Democrats were all in favor of taxing the rich, but it seems this is not the case, since the proposed legislation that promoted me to send a message to Senator Peters, doesn’t even seem to be on his radar. So much for taxing the rich.