Runway SAFE-T Act

This bill falls squarely within the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. Commercial service airports are integral to the flow of persons and goods across state lines, and the safe operation of ground vehicles in movement areas directly affects the safety and efficiency of interstate air travel. The establishment of a task force and the use of technology to improve driver training are means reasonably adapted to the legitimate end of promoting aviation safety and facilitating commerce. The Constitution vests Congress with authority to make all laws necessary and proper for executi…

The regulation of commercial airports and the movement of vehicles within them is a proper exercise of the power to regulate interstate commerce, for aviation and the safe operation of airports are matters that transcend state boundaries. The establishment of a task force to improve training and the adoption of technology to enhance safety are means reasonably adapted to that end. However, the federal government must act strictly within this enumerated power, and the states retain their reserved authority over local matters not committed to Congress.

The proposed bill concerns the training of drivers in the movement area at commercial service airports, which are facilities integral to interstate commerce and the national transportation network. The Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate commerce among the several states (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Establishing a task force and utilizing technology to improve training directly supports the safety and efficiency of interstate air travel, a legitimate object of commercial regulation. As I argued in Federalist No. 45, the powers delegated to the federal government are few and…

The Constitution vests in Congress the power to regulate commerce among the several states. The operation of commercial service airports, including the movement of vehicles within their boundaries, is an integral part of interstate commerce. The establishment of a task force and the use of technology to improve driver training are means reasonably adapted to secure the safety and efficiency of that commerce. Under the necessary and proper clause, Congress may select any appropriate means for executing its enumerated powers. This bill does not transgress any constitutional limitation on federal…