A former Black Hawk pilot and a frequent passenger of the same route from Wichita that ended in disaster this week are emerging as some of the key Senate voices after one of the most fatal aviation crashes in decades.
The collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter over the Potomac River sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill where many lawmakers rely on Reagan National Airport for their commutes to and from their home states.
It has renewed worries about aviation safety. Air traffic controller shortages and fatigue, a series of close calls, and the number of flights out of DCA have been subjects of debate in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in recent years. Now, a spotlight is on how top senators will handle the crisis amid the shift in power for the now GOP-led panel.
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), committee chairman, and Jerry Moran (Kan.), chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said they will host a bipartisan briefing for all committee members to hear from key federal officials about their preliminary findings in coming days.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump faulted the FAA’s diversity program along with President Joe Biden and others in his administration, without providing evidence. But top Republicans on the panel overseeing aviation distanced themselves from that connection and urged a thorough investigation.
Here’s are the senators overseeing aviation to watch:
Ted Cruz
The plane crash is the first major transportation disaster since Cruz took the gavel for the committee at the start of this Congress – a dynamic that gives him the power to set the agenda for the panel’s hearings into the incident.
Cruz, who has previously pushed for modernized air traffic control and also criticized diversity initiatives, said Thursday he’s directed the committee “to actively gather information about what went wrong.” The collision will serve as a test for Cruz, a conservative firebrand, who in the last Congress worked in a bipartisan fashion as ranking member to get a major aviation law passed.
But questions around that law may come up again this Congress. That legislation approved additional flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport despite concerns from some lawmakers about the crowded airspace. Cruz, who secured one of the new slots for San Antonio, pushed for additional flights that are expected to start soon.
Jerry Moran
For Moran, the new chairman of the aviation subcommittee, the crash hits close to home. It’s a flight he’s taken many times.
Shortly after the crash, Moran headed to the airport where officials were briefed. He steps into the subcommittee chairman position as the disaster impacts his constituents.
American Airlines started a new direct flight from Wichita to DCA early last year, which Moran lobbied for.
“It is certainly true that in Kansas, and in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people who are on this flight, know their family members, know somebody, so this is a very personal circumstance as well as an official response,” Moran said. “We will do everything we can to make certain that our subcommittee and Congress is engaged in what needs to take place following” the investigation.
Maria Cantwell
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) chaired the committee last Congress as the panel probed Boeing Co.’s woes and FAA’s oversight into the aircraft manufacturer. In her new role as ranking member, that experience will be helpful as lawmakers confront this new crisis.
How Cruz responds to the crash and oversight in committee will likely influence Cantwell’s response, and whether the senators will be able to work together as they did to advance the FAA renewal last year. Cantwell said Thursday that she expects NTSB to lead a thorough investigation to find out what happened.
Cantwell, who led on previous aviation overhaul laws, has pushed for changes in response to the concerns with Boeing Co. and oversight of manufacturing at the FAA. Her panel held a slew of aviation safety hearings last year, including on addressing close calls, aviation manufacturing, cybersecurity threats.
Tammy Duckworth
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the top Democrat on the aviation subcommittee, is positioning herself as a key voice given her experience as Army veteran and Black Hawk helicopter pilot.
“As someone who’s flown a Black Hawk, I know what it’s like to be in the cockpit,” Duckworth (Ill.) said. “Moving forward, my focus will be on doing everything possible to prevent another tragedy like this one.”
After the collision, Duckworth said lawmakers will be looking at aviation equipment upgrades, air traffic controller staffing and funding levels, as well as potentially looking at whether to end the helicopter route that’s so close to DCA.
Duckworth also raised concerns about Trump’s accusatory rhetoric after the crash and his administration’s government-wide efforts to freeze certain funding and encourage federal employees to resign.
“From my understanding, some of the air traffic controllers actually received letters basically trying to scare them into quitting at a time when we have a shortage of air traffic controllers,” Duckworth said. “I don’t think the Trump administration is in a strong position right now to start blaming others.”
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