I guess only time will tell. I recall you stating that age 65 was dead because the Democrats control the Congress now. Funny.:laugh:
Time has nothing to do with it. It's very clear that a flight engineer is NOT a pilot. That won't change with time. It's very clear that those over 60 will not be able to return to their previous job. That may change when the bill goes to the floor for debate, but it is unlikely since those that favor the change have been clear that this will not be retroactive. Even in paragraph five of that letter from a few Senators makes it clear that reinstatement is not an included right in the legislation.
I called 65 dead for two years when the Dems won control of both houses. I had no idea of the chicanery that would take place at ALPA national. Definitely not foreseen by me and I was wrong about age 65 being temporarily on hold - my forecast was incorrect.
Age 65's definitely not dead, but it's also not a slam dunk. It will be difficult to get the FAA Authorization Bill passed. It won't pass in it's current form. There are quite a few hurdles that could kill the bill. It's not a slam dunk by any stretch of the imagination. And neither is a change through the NPRM process.