Ted Cruz Issues Clear Warning About State Of FAA And Air Travel In The U.S.

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke about the problems plaguing the FAA.

Transcript

00:00Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Mr. Bedford's nomination

00:04comes at a critical moment for the FAA.

00:08In January, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army Blackhawk

00:15helicopter, the deadliest accident in the United States in more than 15 years.

00:20That accident and the air traffic control breakdowns that have occurred since laid

00:26bare the vulnerable state of the U.S. air traffic control system. The technologies

00:32are outdated, old facilities are understaffed, and the systemic issues

00:38that have plagued the FAA for decades remain unresolved. The stakes are

00:44extraordinarily high. If the United States doesn't make critical progress in the

00:49near future, other countries, both allies and adversaries, will become aerospace hubs

00:56at our expense. It is my hope that under the leadership of Brian Bedford, the United

01:02States will lead the world in aerospace innovation and remain the gold standard

01:08for safety. For the last 25 years, Mr. Bedford has led Republic Airways, growing it

01:16from a fledgling regional airline to one with over three billion dollars in annual

01:22revenues and more than 200 aircraft, all while maintaining a robust safety culture.

01:29As CEO, Mr. Bedford launched the Lyft Academy, the first airline-owned training academy to

01:38leverage modern technologies to train better aviators. Lyft Academy has created an

01:43affordable and state-of-the-art training for both aviation mechanics and pilots. It's become a

01:51vital pipeline to address the industry's workforce shortages. As a pilot, Mr. Bedford

01:58understands how important it is for pilots to go through rigorous training, both with

02:02real-world and similar flight time, which is the best way to prepare for severe weather

02:09and extreme situations. Fifteen hundred hours of mindless banner-towing is no way to train

02:16a commercial pilot. Mr. Bedford did all of this while raising nine children, along with his

02:23wife, Maria. And I will say in that, he shares the nine children with the great Supreme Court

02:30Justice Antonin Scalia. And so I expect similar great things from you, Mr. Bedford. The FAA

02:39is sorely in need of his steady leadership. No Senate-confirmed head of the agency has completed

02:45a full five-year term since 2018. Looking forward, the FAA faces numerous challenges.

02:54It needs help to get Boeing back on track. The FAA will have to integrate new aviation technologies

03:01like drones and air taxis and commercial space launches. And it must accelerate the advancement

03:09of air traffic control. Last week, this committee released the commerce title of the Senate Reconciliation

03:16Bill. We will provide the FAA with more than $12 billion in historic investment to improve

03:24poor infrastructure and to deploy better technology. Poor management over many decades has left Congress

03:31with no choice. I have high expectations for transparency. And this committee intends to hold both the

03:39Department of Transportation and the FAA accountable for implementing the improvements responsibly

03:47and promptly. I look forward to hearing how Mr. Bedford will ensure that the FAA is equipped

03:53to meet this moment and to bring the U.S. aviation system into the modern era. And I look forward

04:00to hearing also how, under his leadership, we will modernize air traffic control to keep the

04:06flying public safe, which is the principal and the core responsibility of the FAA.

04:12I now turn to ranking member Cantwell for her opening statement.

04:15Thank you, Mr. Chairman.