David Heymsfeld signature aviation bills memorial to this exceptional legislative craftsmanship

Below is the sad news that the architect of almost four decades of aviation and transportation legislation, David Heymsfeld, has passed. The press almost exclusively focusses on the activities of the Members of Congress and the legislators themselves feed their egos by using the names of a Senator or Representative to further ingratiate their importance.  

Those, who spend time in hearings, attending mark up’s, distributing briefing notes and doing the real work of lobbyists—educating the policy makers, will opine that staffers like David ASSURE THAT THE POLICY GOALS EMBODIED IN STATUTES ARE PRECISELY CRAFTED, ARE TRULY CONDUCIVE TO THE INTENTION(S) OF THE BILL, CAN BE REALISTICALLY MET BY THE PUBLIC, AVOID UNINTENDED COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES AND ARE CAPABLE OF BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. 

That litany of skills is drawn from memories of David’s incredible acumen. His exquisite choice of words, his structuring of sentences; his design of titles, sections, and subsections; AND the balancing of precise directions and general discretion ARE the HALLMARKs of 40 years of aviation legislation. 

It is an established tradition in the House to hang portraits of past Chairs on the Hearing Room Walls. As demonstrated by the below, incomplete litany of bills which indelibly and unmistakingly bear David’s hand. Whether put on a nail to hang his picture or not, this image of David will always be visible to those who knew this exceptional legislative craftsman– 

• Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 
• The Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 
• General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, 
• Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 
• Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act 2003; 
• AIRLINE SAFETY AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2010 
• From Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization: An Overview of Legislative Action in the 112th Congress 

While it is a bit of a stretch to make this comparison to refer to Thomas Jefferson, but his choice of words to be inscribed on his tombstone, but the third President’s concept of memorializing what he considered to be the milestones of his career is apt. David’s list would be too long for any piece of granite. However, this modest man would probably only cite his family. 

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David Heymsfeld Obituary

Funeral services will be held at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, 1441 Wiehle Ave., Reston, VA on Monday, September 18 at 12 noon. For those unable to join in person, the Zoom link is available below. Interment will follow at Fairfax Memorial Park. 

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87600156367

Meeting ID: 876 0015 6367 

David Alan Heymsfeld was a former congressional staff director and a longtime advocate for transportation policy. He died on Aug. 29, 2023, at the age of 87, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was a resident of Arlington, Va., and had worked for more than three decades on Capitol Hill, serving as staff director of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 1995 to 2014. 

Heymsfeld was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated from Harvard University in 1967. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from New York University in 1970 and a law degree from Georgetown University in 1974. He began his career as a legislative assistant to Rep. James Scheuer (D-N.Y.) and later worked for REP. NORMAN Y. MINETA (D-Calif.), who became the chairman of the transportation committee in 1993. 

Heymsfeld was instrumental in shaping major transportation legislation, such as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, which promoted the integration of different modes of transportation, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, which increased funding for highways, transit and safety programs. He also helped craft bills to improve aviation security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to rebuild infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

Heymsfeld was known for his BIPARTISAN APPROACH AND HIS EXPERTISE ON COMPLEX AND TECHNICAL ISSUES. He was respected by lawmakers, lobbyists and colleagues as a fair and effective negotiator who could find common ground among diverse interests. He retired from Congress in 2010 and joined the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials as a policy adviser. 

David enjoyed sports and the outdoors. He was an avid tennis player, bike rider, and marathoner. 
 
Above all David cherished family. He was a loving husband, devoted father and proud grandfather. 
 
David is survived by his wife Carla, sons Ralph and David, daughters-in-law Jacquelyn and Jennifer, and grandchildren Sarah and David. 

Heymsfeld is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara Heymsfeld; two daughters, Rachel Heymsfeld and Deborah Heymsfeld; a brother; and four grandchildren.