Trump's FAA Pick Wins Confirmation Over Objections

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford to run the Federal Aviation Administration, putting him in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, DC, that killed 67 people. Bedford was confirmed on a near party-line vote, 53-43, the AP reports. Republicans and industry leaders lauded President Trump's choice of Bedford, citing his experience as CEO of regional airline Republic Airways since 1999. Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Commerce Committee, called Bedford a "steady leader with executive experience."

Democrats and flight safety advocates opposed his nomination, citing Bedford's lack of commitment to the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots that was put in place by Congress after a 2009 plane crash. Bedford declined during his confirmation hearing to commit to upholding a rule requiring 1,500 hours of training for pilots, saying only that he would not "have anything that will reduce safety." Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce panel, accused Bedford of wanting "to roll back safety reforms and unravel the regulatory framework that made the United States the gold standard" in aviation safety. Bedford has support from much of the industry, with the air traffic controllers union noting his commitment to modernize the outdated system.

Congress implemented the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training and other safety precautions after the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York. In that flight, the pilot had not been trained on how to recover from a stall in the aircraft, per the AP. His actions caused the plane carrying 49 people to crash into a house, where another man was killed. Families of the victims of the Colgan crash joined Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer at a press conference to express concern about Bedford's nomination. Pilot Chesley Sullenberger, made famous for safely landing a plane in the Hudson River, also opposed Trump's pick, posting on social media that "with the nomination of Bryan Bedford to be FAA Administrator, my life's work could be undone."