Washington, D.C. — Today, 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) released the following statements after President Trump froze the hiring of Air Traffic Controllers, among other safety-critical positions.
"The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. That’s what the law says, so the Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry. Instead of working to improve aviation safety and lower costs for hardworking American families, the Administration is choosing to spread bogus DEI claims to justify this decision. I'm not surprised by the President’s dangerous and divisive actions, but the Administration must reverse course. Let’s get back to aviation safety and allow the FAA to do its job protecting the flying public.”
“Our top priority must be the safety of the flying public so an order freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers is a misguided decision and goes against the directives of our FAA Reauthorization bill," Ranking Member Cohen said. "The aviation community will speak with one voice in condemning this short-sighted policy and reaffirm our commitment to hiring the critical personnel necessary for ensuring public safety.”
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