Air Traffic Control & Infrastructure - The FAA is working to update air traffic control infrastructure and technology, with $125 billion allocated as a down payment towards the total $315 billion needed [4] - Air traffic control improvements are expected to yield a 10 to 20 times return on investment [5] - There is a deficit of 3,000 air traffic controllers, and efforts are underway to streamline the hiring process and retain existing controllers with a 20% bonus for those who stay on after 25 years of service [7][8] - The FAA plans to deploy sensors on busy runways to actively control planes and prevent near misses [11] Space Industry & Regulation - The Commercial Space Industry aims to expedite innovation and streamline regulation [1] - The US has 60% of the space launch business, down from 100%, due to excessive regulations, and the goal is to streamline processes to encourage more launches from America [34] - The cost to launch a satellite into space has decreased to a little over $1 million due to innovation from companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin [38] - The government aims to treat all space companies fairly, providing equitable access to launchpads and licensing to foster competition [41] Aviation Taxes & Privatization - Everyone using the airspace should help pay for it, often through fuel taxes [17] - Infrastructure usage, such as air traffic control, airports, and launchpads, should factor into taxation, with different structures for commercial and private aviation [19][20] - Privatizing air traffic control was considered but did not pass, and is not currently being pursued [20][21] Criticism of Previous Administration - The previous Secretary of DOT was criticized for focusing on DEI and climate initiatives instead of addressing basic infrastructure needs [24] - $7 billion allocated for charging stations resulted in only 84 being built due to regulations related to DEI and green initiatives [29]