Washington, D.C. — The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation Steve Cohen (D-TN), during today’s hearing titled, "America Builds: Airport Infrastructure, Safety, and Regulatory Environment."
Video of Ranking Members Larsen’s and Cohen’s opening statements can be found here and here.
More information on the hearing can be found here.
Ranking Member Larsen:
Thank you, Chairman Nehls and Ranking Member Cohen, for holding today’s hearing to examine our nation’s airport infrastructure, safety and regulatory challenges they face and find ways to address these challenges.
And thank you to the witnesses for joining us today.
Airports serve as vital economic engines that power local economies.
They generate good jobs, stimulate local businesses and attract financial investment.
A study published by Airports Council International–North America last month found that airports with commercial service support 12.8 million jobs, provide $619 billion in annual payroll and produce $1.8 trillion of annual output.
Even more than those benefits, airports serve as critical transportation hubs and strengthen human connectivity by safely bringing people together.
Congress recognized the importance of airports when we passed the 2024 FAA reauthorization. The law bolsters airport infrastructure and operations, improves environmental protections and, most importantly, enhances airport safety.
The safety provisions included requirements to maximize the hiring of air traffic controllers, expand the deployment of surface surveillance technology to prevent near misses at all large and medium hub airports, create a new runway safety grant program, accelerate the replacement of insufficient air traffic control legacy systems and strengthen protections for airport workers, among other reforms.
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the law’s passage, it has become more important than ever that the FAA is fully staffed and resourced to implement these key provisions as soon as possible.
Conducting indiscriminate and reckless layoffs of safety personnel goes in the wrong direction.
Instead, we need to recommit ourselves to making our national airspace system (NAS) safer, more innovative and efficient. As the last few months have shown, we can no longer afford to wait.
On January 29, our nation experienced one of the worst aviation accidents in recent history.
That evening, a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 near Washington National Airport (DCA), tragically claiming the lives of all 67 people on board both aircraft.
It was the first major U.S. commercial passenger flight to crash in nearly 16 years and marked the end of one of the longest streaks without such a crash in U.S. history.
While the victims’ families and the nation continue to grieve this immense loss, this tragic accident was unfortunately followed by a series of other safety incidents in Alaska, Philadelphia, Arizona and several other places.
In addition, there has been a series of troubling near-miss events at DCA.
Now, the data shows that aviation remains the safest mode of travel in the United States.
However, the recent series of accidents has shaken the confidence of the traveling public. Passengers deserve to board their flights and safely reach their destinations without incident and without worry.
In order to restore this confidence, Congress, the Administration and industry must take decisive actions to make the system safer.
I am pleased that the FAA is implementing the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) recommendations in response to the DCA mid-air collision and other accidents to make U.S. skies safer.
For instance, the FAA:
- Swiftly banned most non-essential helicopter operations near DCA;
- Is reviewing 21 U.S. airports to determine whether there are any safety risks similar to those at DCA; and
- Is requiring federal agencies that conduct aircraft operations near DCA to broadcast their position using ADS-B Out.
While I applaud these actions, more needs to be done. Recent incidents show the U.S aviation system continues to be under stress.
A 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights the critical need to replace our aging air traffic control systems, with over a third of these systems described as unsustainable and another 40 percent as being potentially unsustainable.
That is why I, and many of us, look forward to Secretary Duffy’s proposal to replace and modernize these systems.
Whether it is this proposal, the decisions to streamline the air traffic control hiring process or the FAA’s recent policy changes to protect flights in and around DCA, I will support any and all actions to make our system safer.
What I won’t support is the Administration getting bogged down in partisan witch hunts or implementing mass layoffs and otherwise undermining the FAA’s workforce—those actions don’t make our system safer.
There is no place for baseless rhetoric if we are to have constructive conversations on improving aviation safety.
I am hopeful that Secretary Duffy and FAA leadership understand these pressing challenges facing U.S. aviation and focus their time and energy on where it belongs—strengthening the safety of the NAS.
So, what can we do to make our airports and national airspace safer?
For one, we must prioritize our authority to conduct critical oversight.
Secondly, Congress and the administration have to work together to consider bipartisan proposals to strengthen our air traffic control system.
Next, this Committee needs to take a serious look at the final NTSB recommendations once they are published next year and be prepared to swiftly adopt those so they can be implemented.
And, finally, the Committee should continue to listen to what key stakeholders, such as the witnesses before us today, have to say about how to increase safety.
When we’re working together, we can produce the long-lasting safety reforms needed to ensure a safer, more innovative and efficient NAS.
I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today.
Ranking Member Cohen:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your holding this hearing, and thank our witnesses for sharing their insights on the state of our nation's airports.
Across America, from major hubs to small-town airstrips, airports connect people, fuel local economies, and support our broader transportation ecosystem.
As Ranking Member, I’ve been proud to support transformative investments in these critical facilities, especially through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the 2024 FAA Reauthorization.
The IIJA, in particular, made historic investments in our airport infrastructure including $15 billion to support modernization, terminal improvements, and safety upgrades.
These funds are reshaping the travel experience, creating jobs and preparing our airports for the future.
In Memphis, we’ve seen the impact firsthand.
Memphis International Airport (MEM), the busiest cargo airport in North America and second busiest in the world, has leveraged IIJA funding and FAA grants to make meaningful improvements for cargo and passengers alike.
The airport's newly modernized terminal has consolidated operations, enhanced accessibility and significantly improved energy efficiency.
It’s more than just a facelift. This is a next-generation facility that reflects Memphis’s role as a logistics leader and gateway to the world.
The 2024 FAA Reauthorization law built on the IIJA’s momentum by authorizing $4 billion annually through 2028 for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which was the first substantial increase in over a decade.
But as we’ll hear today, challenges remain.
The FAA estimates $67.5 billion in needed airport infrastructure upgrades through 2029.
Terminals are aging. Gate capacity is strained. And with the expected rise of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft and growing climate risks, our airports must be equipped not just for today but for tomorrow.
That means continued investment in safety, which remains top of mind after recent accidents and close calls.
The Runway Safety Council and new FAA initiatives to improve surface surveillance and detection systems are critical, and we’ll continue working to ensure their effective implementation.
It also means ensuring that workers have the support, training, and protection they need to do their jobs safely.
We’ve tragically lost at least five ramp workers in just the past two and a half years. These workers are operating in fast-moving, extreme environments including on the tarmac, in the elements, guiding aircraft, loading bags and supporting passengers with disabilities.
And yet, the FAA-mandated ramp safety review required by the FAA Reauthorization is months overdue. We cannot allow that kind of delay when lives are on the line.
Likewise, gate and ticket agents are facing a rise in verbal and physical assaults often for simply enforcing airline policies.
The FAA law included new protections for these front-line workers, but they must be implemented swiftly and with labor’s voice at the table.
And for passengers with disabilities, we’ve taken long-overdue steps to ensure their mobility devices are properly handled—an issue I was proud to work on with Senator Duckworth.
The DOT’s new rule on training for stowing wheelchairs and scooters is now finalized, and it’s vital that airlines act quickly and responsibly to implement it.
In Memphis and across the country, airports are economic engines and community anchors. Let’s make sure we give them the tools, investments and workforce protections they need to succeed.
Thank you, and I look forward to today’s discussion.