Chairman Cruz: Senate Passage of ROTOR Act a Key Step for Aviation Safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) hailed the passage of the bipartisan ROTOR Act as a step forward for aviation safety and a measure that honors the victims of the January 29th fatal crash near DCA. Almost a year after the accident, the ROTOR Act – which the Senate passed by unanimous consent Wednesday – tightens the rules for military aircraft, requiring them to transmit precise location information to avert future collisions. Senator Cruz also announced the ROTOR Act now has the backing of the White House, and the administration committed to help work with House colleagues to see that the ROTOR Act is passed into law.
Chairman Cruz: U.S. Must Remain Leader in Next Generation Communications
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission,” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stressed that for the U.S. to remain the world leader in next-generation communications and connectivity, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must prioritize faster broadband deployment, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and modernize global satellite licensing.
PHMSA Officials Weakening Federal Safety Protections Amid Conflict-of Interest Allegations
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent letters to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman and PHMSA Chief Counsel Keith Coyle, as well as Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and INGAA Foundation President & CEO Amy Andryszak, regarding serious conflict of interest allegations raised in a recent ProPublica story. The story clearly describes how Kochman—whom INGAA employed as its Director of Pipeline Safety Policy until President Trump appointed him to PHMSA in January 2025—and Coyle, a former attorney for INGAA, have spearheaded efforts to weaken safety laws opposed and disfavored by INGAA while also significantly curtailing safety enforcement actions against companies INGAA represents.
Chairman Cruz: Strip Section 373 From NDAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, held a joint press conference with families of victims of the January midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to urge the removal of section 373 from the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The provision would widen the loophole that allows military helicopters to operate in DC airspace without broadcasting their location.
Ranking Member Cantwell Statement on Trump AI Executive Order
Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement on the AI Executive Order signed yesterday by President Trump:
Cantwell Urges Support for Bipartisan Amendment to Remove NDAA Provision Threatening Air Safety
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, spoke on the Senate floor this afternoon to urge support of her bipartisan amendment to strike Section 373 from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would weaken aviation safety law and codify the loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate in DC airspace—within a few hundred feet of commercial aircraft—without ADS-B Out transmitting their location. Sen. Cantwell and Commerce Committee Chair Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also filed an amendment to replace section 373 with their bipartisan ROTOR Act.
Sens. Cantwell and Cruz File Amendment to Strike Section 373 From NDAA
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) striking section 373 which rolls back safety measures put in place after last January’s devastating mid-air collision and codifies loopholes that allowed military aircraft to operate in DC airspace without ADS-B Out transmitting their location. The Senators also filed an amendment to replace section 373 with their bipartisan ROTOR Act.
Sens. Cruz and Cantwell File Amendment to Strike Section 373 From NDAA
WASHINGTON, DC — Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) striking section 373, which rolls back safety measures put in place after last January’s devastating mid-air collision and codifies loopholes that allowed military aircraft to operate in DC airspace without ADS-B Out transmitting their location. The senators also filed an amendment to replace section 373 with their bipartisan ROTOR Act.
“Who thinks it’s a good idea?” Sen. Cantwell Warns Provision Added to NDAA Threatens Aviation Safety, Allows Military Aircraft to Operate in DC Airspace Without ADS-B Out Transmitting Location
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, spoke on the Senate Floor tonight to warn that a last-minute provision added to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would threaten aviation safety and must be removed to protect the flying public. Section 373 of the NDAA rolls back safety measures put in place after last January’s devastating mid-air collision which took the lives of 67 people, and preserves loopholes that allowed military aircraft to operate in DC airspace without ADS-B Out transmitting their location.
FAA’s Plan for ATC Modernization: Evaluating Progress, Delivering Results
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, will convene a hearing titled “FAA’s Plan for ATC Modernization: Evaluating Progress, Ensuring Accountability and Results” on Wednesday, December 17th at 2:30 pm EST. This hearing will review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control modernization plan, with a focus on the progress of the new air traffic control system following the selection of Peraton as the Prime Integrator, which functions as the project manager.