Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning welcomed Congress back to Washington after a two-week recess and pressed them to pass critical legislation to provide much needed funding and clear demand signals to the American aerospace and defense industry.

“As Congress returns to DC, AIA and our over 320 members urge Congress to act swiftly on must-pass legislation, with full-year appropriations as top priority,” Fanning said. “Without proper funding, the adverse impacts will reverberate throughout the U.S. government and economy — including at the Department of Defense where our capacity to surge remains in jeopardy, the Department of State through which global trade runs, and the FAA and NASA where critical work in safety, space, and new technologies is progressing.

“But that’s not all. Congress also faces a March 8 deadline to authorize the FAA for another five years so that American aviation remains the gold standard of safety,” Fanning continued. “Further, America’s innovators are still waiting for the Senate to move on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act before another tax season comes and goes. This critical bill provides a short-term fix to a harmful policy that has forced American businesses to cut back on R&D spending — paring back their workforces and weakening America’s advantage in aerospace and defense.

“Congress has a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, and we look forward to them work quickly to address these critical priorities.”