Families, Safety Advocates, Air Traffic Controllers, Pilots, Flight Attendants, Airports, Regional Airlines & Others Push for House Passage of ROTOR Act
Following the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) release of its final report on the deadly midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 that killed 67 people, the House will vote this afternoon on bipartisan legislation that would close critical safety gaps identified by investigators and implement key NTSB safety recommendations. Passed unanimously by the Senate in December 2025, the ROTOR Act would require aircraft required to have ADS-B Out to operate in busier airspace to have safety-enhancing ADS-B In location technology and require the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct safety reviews of congested airspace at airports across the country.
Commerce Committee Passes Legislation to Strengthen FAA’s Safety Management System
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee passed the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 led by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill,), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The bill directs the FAA to establish an independent expert review panel to make recommendations for a comprehensive, integrated and effective FAA safety management system (SMS) to better predict, manage and mitigate safety risks across the agency.
Cantwell Addresses FAA Closure of El Paso Airspace: “We Have a Real Problem of Coordination Between DoD & FAA”
In her opening remarks at today’s Commerce Committee hearing on the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) final report on the tragic mid-air collision near DCA, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member, addressed the FAA’s closure of the airspace over El Paso and her ongoing concerns about the lack of interagency coordination necessary to keep the public safe.
Bedford’s Violation of Ethics Agreement May Yield the Sitting FAA Chief Millions
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill), Ranking Member of the aviation subcommittee, and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) General Counsel Gregory Zerzan demanding information and accountability regarding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford’s refusal to comply with his ethics agreement and divest his shares in Republic Airways. Instead, Bedford stalled while Republic Airways completed a merger with Mesa Air Group, which appears to have vastly increased the value of his holdings.
Sen. Cantwell Pays Tribute to the 67 Individuals Who Lost Their Lives in the Jan. 29 Mid-Air Collision at Reagan National Airport and Their Families
On the eve of the one year anniversary of the mid-air collision at Reagan National Airport which took the lives of 67 individuals, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, spoke at a commemoration event to honor those who died and the families who have turned their grief into action on aviation safety. The commemoration also honored the first responders who rushed to their aid and the unsung heroes who have supported the healing process and the ongoing push for aviation safety.
Cantwell, Duckworth, Warner, Markey, Shaheen & Klobuchar Reintroduce Legislation to Review and Strengthen FAA’s Safety Management System to Ensure Agency Comprehensively Identifies and Corrects Safety Risks
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill,), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 to improve the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight and its ability to identify and address aviation safety issues.
New Day, New Excuse Cantwell Blasts Bedford About Failure to Divest Airline Stock Holdings
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, blasted Bryan Bedford, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, for failing to take responsibility for divesting potentially millions of dollars in Republic Airways holdings within 90 days of his confirmation, a clear violation of his ethics agreement. The exchange came during an aviation subcommittee hearing.
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.
“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.