Former T&I Chair Bud Shuster Passes Away

Former Rep. Elmer Greinert "Bud” Shuster, who led the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee in the late 1990s and shepherded through the sweeping AIR-21 FAA reauthorization bill, died yesterday. He was 91.

Shuster, a Republican from Pennsylvania, served in Congress from 1973 until 2001 and chaired the T&I Committee from 1995 until he retired from Congress. In that role, he had a strong and influential hand in highway and aviation matters, among others. In fact, his advocacy for infrastructure projects earned him the nickname of the “King of Asphalt.”

His final massive aviation bill, the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act (AIR-21), dedicated aviation trust fund dollars to aviation purposes, a decade-long effort that earned him AOPA's Hartranft Award. That bill also included numerous safety provisions, including permitting access to airmen’s records, and provided whistleblower protections. “Few members of Congress were able to get things done like Bud Shuster and our nation’s transportation systems benefited from his leadership,” said AOPA president Mark Baker of Shuster's passing.

This sentiment was shared by lawmakers and other industry officials. “Chairman Bud Shuster truly is a legend. He was a masterful legislator and one of Congress’ most effective advocates for America’s transportation and infrastructure,” said T&I chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri). “Bud leaves behind a tremendous legacy as one of the most effective leaders in the history of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.”

National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) president Rich Santa praised Shuster’s advocacy on the trust fund as well as worker protections. “[Shuster] fought every day to protect the interests of every aviation worker,” Santa said. “His steadfast commitment to ensuring the Airport and Airway Trust Fund was only used for its intended purpose and not used for other purposes, went a long way toward improving the lives of our union’s members and countless other workers in the aviation industry. Congressman Shuster will be missed.”