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President Biden's latest nominee for the role of Administrator of the FAA faced a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday without any major turbulence.RELATED STORIES:NBAA, coalition urge Senate to quickly confirm FAA nomineePresident names former official as new FAA nominee
Michael Whitaker, a former deputy FAA administrator and United Airlines executive, was nominated by President Biden on Sept. 7. The FAA has been without a permanent leader since March 2022 and this is the second nominee to face the Senate this year. Whitaker stood before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and garnered support from members of the aviation community as well as representatives. The FAA has faced considerable challenges in 2023, including the first nationwide ground stop since 9/11 after a NOTAM outage and a steady rise in runway incursions. Representatives as well as members of the aviation industry are calling for stability.
"This is a crucial time for aviation and for the FAA," said Rep. Sam Graves, the Transportation andamp; Infrastructure Committee Chair. "Steadfast leadership at the FAA is paramount if we as a nation are to remain the global leader in aviation safety and innovation. A goal that I know this committee and the nominee equivocally support."
If confirmed, Whitaker would be the first permanent leader of the FAA in 18 months. Steve Dickson stepped down in March 2020 and Billy Nolen stepped in as the acting FAA Administrator until he stepped down in the summer and Polly Trottenberg from the Department of Transportation took on the role. Former presidential nominee Phil Washington removed himself from the confirmation process in March after notable scrutiny from Republicans in the U.S. Senate and his committee nomination vote was delayed. Much of the criticism Washington faced was over his experience, or the perceived lack thereof.
Senator Ted Cruz was notably outspoken in his disapproval of the former nominee but has opted to back Whitaker. Cruz praised the nomination and Whitaker's significant aviation experience. He emphasized that the FAA is not a political organization and politics must be kept out of the FAA. He showed his support for the nominee and the need for a new leader to rebuild the FAA after over one year without a Senate-confirmed leader.
"The FAA is in desperate need of independent leadership willing to challenge the status quo," Cruz said in a statement to Reuters.
Cruz told Reuters that Whitaker "has expressly committed to focus on the FAA's primary responsibility, which is ensuring the safety of our national aerospace."
Many representatives in both parties were opposed to the former nominee, but Whitaker's approval has been seen across the board.
"I fought hard against the previous nominee, whose lack of relevant experience was greatly concerning and that's also why I am here today supporting Mr. Whitaker because I believe he is the right person for this job," Graves said.
Whitaker told the Senate there were three main areas of focus starting out. He plans to maintain and build upon the U.S. aviation safety record, build the aviation system of the future, and build the aviation workforce and pipeline. This includes closing gaps in the certification process, preventing runway close calls and catching up on air traffic controller hiring."We simply cannot become complacent and we must continuously improve as an organization," Whitaker said.Whitaker served as the deputy FAA administrator from 2013-2016 and has had a long aviation career. Unlike former nominees, Whitaker also has his pilot's license, which he said has contributed to his technical knowledge of aviation systems and led to a better understanding of the national airspace. A questionnaire was submitted to the Committees Whitaker said he has spent 32 years in aviation, from an early role as an attorney to leadership roles at United Airlines and within the FAA.
There was no vocal opposition to the nominee during the hearing. The FAA has recently faced uncertainty over its reauthorization when Congress was at a standstill without an agreement on funding for the federal government. Without a consensus, the government would have shut down on Oct. 1, but hours before the deadline a temporary funding bill was passed. On the table was the FAA reauthorization, which extends the agency's authority and funding. The FAA was given a statutory authorization through Dec. 31.RELATED STORIES:
Short-term funding bill extends FAA authorizationFurloughed workers and travel delays - how a government shutdown would impact aviationWhitaker has not faced opposition since his formal nomination. He has yet to be confirmed for the role. If he is confirmed by the Senate, he will take on the role for five years.