Sam Graves and Troy Nehls Headline Congressional Town Hall

EAA hosted U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) during a Congressional Town Hall and wide-ranging panel discussion on Saturday morning during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 at Forum Stage 4. Graves chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Nehls chairs the Aviation Subcommittee.

Joining Graves and Nehls on the stage were EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board Jack J. Pelton; President and CEO Darren Pleasance of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Cade Clark, chief government affairs officer of Vertical Aviation International (VAI); Paul Feldman, vice president of government affairs for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA); and Kristie Greco Johnson, senior vice president for government affairs for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

In his opening remarks, Graves spoke about the $12.5 billion Congress down payment for air traffic control modernization, with changes from copper to fiber lines and other improvements. Regarding the FAA reauthorization bill, which Congress passed last year, he said, “Some of the big wins were GA’s; [it was the] first time we ever had a GA title, which is a section of the bill and included all the GA provisions in there.”

In his initial comment, Nehls talked about the importance of modernizing the national airspace system (NAS). “We are bringing in the different stakeholders and industry to hold monthly meetings,” he said, adding that he seeks to learn what modernization means and looks like to them.

Pelton reflected on Graves’ work on behalf of general aviation, and his understanding of issues important to the GA community. “[He is] one of us,” he said. “He’s done a lot for us in the House.”

Association representatives were invited to provide their perspectives during the panel discussion. Pleasance addressed the concern about using ADS-B for nonsafety purposes, such as for landing fee collection. Clark was concerned about airspace access being shut down for helicopters. Feldman addressed the importance of enhancing innovation and safety from a manufacturing perspective. Greco Johnson spoke about the importance of strengthening flight security in the age of flight tracking.

The panelists spoke positively of the MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rule announced on Tuesday. “I think it’s the most signification regulatory bill in general aviation over the last 75 years,” Pelton said.

During the town hall, attendees were given the opportunity to pose questions to the panelists.

Graves mentioned that he’s attended AirVenture for the past three decades, and he continues to serve on the board of directors of EAA Warbirds of America, which is dedicated to the preservation of historic military aircraft. Nehls has also attended AirVenture in the past.