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Then with Concerned Veterans of America's John Vick and historian Anne John Monski, creator and writer of the series American History Unbound on how the nation has commemorated Veterans Day over time. | |
| C-SPAN's Washington Journal. | ||
| Join in the conversation live at 7 Eastern this morning on C-SPAN. | ||
| C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app or online at c-SPAN.org. | ||
| Today, President Trump joins the 72nd annual National Veterans Day Observance, delivering remarks and laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. | ||
| Watch live at 11 a.m. Eastern on C-SPAN. | ||
| C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, and online at c-SPAN.org. | ||
| And now to a confirmation hearing for some of President Trump's Transportation Department nominees, including Under Secretary for Policy and Assistant Secretary of Aviation and International Affairs. | ||
| Lawmakers question the nominees on several topics, including Amtrak funding, international tourism, and canceled programs at the Transportation Department. | ||
| It's 90 minutes. | ||
| Good afternoon. | ||
| The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order. | ||
| Before we hear from our nominees, I would like to first acknowledge the tragedy that occurred last night at Louisville's International Airport after a UPS cargo plane crashed soon after takeoff, tragically resulting in the loss of at least nine lives. | ||
| I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the crew and others who lost their lives to this terrible accident. | ||
| It is a reminder of the critical work this committee does to improve aviation safety, particularly this week with our two nominations hearings. | ||
| Tomorrow's hearing will feature a nominee to serve as a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board. | ||
| With that said, we will now proceed to the business before this committee and to hear from three nominees. | ||
| Ryan McCormick, nominee to be the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. | ||
| Daniel Edwards, nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs. | ||
| And Trent Morse, nominee to serve on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. | ||
| Congratulations to each of you. | ||
| All three of these nominees will contribute to making American transportation safe and efficient. | ||
| Under the Biden-Buttigig regime, the Department of Transportation diverted billions of dollars towards left-wing initiatives. | ||
| For example, by requiring states and cities to address pointless DEI and environmental justice criteria when applying for infrastructure grants, or by squandering taxpayer money to the tune of $4 billion for California's dismal failure of a high-speed rail boondoggle, rather than investing that money in fixing outdated air traffic control systems and aging bridges. | ||
| Today, Secretary Duffy is working hard to refocus the department on its core mission, advancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the U.S. transportation system. | ||
| We will hear from nominees prepared to support Secretary Duffy's agenda. | ||
| Let's begin with Mr. McCormick, who was nominated to serve as the Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy. | ||
| He worked in numerous positions on Capitol Hill, including as legislative director for then Representative Sean Duffy. | ||
| I'm not sure what happened to him after his congressional career and as the chief of staff for Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. | ||
| Mr. Cormick also held several senior roles at the Export Import Bank during the first Trump administration. | ||
| Currently, he is Deputy Chief of Staff for Secretary Duffy at DOT. | ||
| Mr. McCormick's experiences in both the legislative and executive branches give him a deep institutional knowledge needed to address the 40,000 annual highway fatalities, to streamline project permitting, and to make America a world leader in advanced transportation technologies such as drones and autonomous vehicles. | ||
| Next, we have Dan Edwards, who is nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Transportation at the Office for Aviation and International Affairs. | ||
| That office is responsible for promoting fair competition and enforcing international agreements. | ||
| He is also the Associate Administrator for Airports at the FAA. | ||
| Mr. Edwards' 30-year aviation career includes stints as a military pilot, a civil engineer, and in senior executive roles for several private aviation businesses. | ||
| Since 2022, Mexico has been in violation of the U.S.-Mexico Open Skies Agreement. | ||
| I look forward to hearing how Mr. Edwards will stand up for U.S. carriers, hold Mexico accountable, and promote robust competition. | ||
| Finally, Mr. Morris has been nominated to serve as a member on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, known as MWA. | ||
| He has served in multiple positions in the Trump administration, most recently as the Deputy Director for the Presidential Personnel Office. | ||
| He also worked in the first Trump administration as a senior advisor at the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services. | ||
| Currently, Mr. Morris serves on DOT's advisory board. | ||
| I'm glad to see that Mr. Morris shares my disdain and that of millions of other flyers for the glacial tank-like people movers at Dulles. | ||
| It sounds like we'll finally have a representative on the MWA board who cares about the actual experiences of passengers at Reagan and Dulles. | ||
| Thank you to each of our nominees for joining us today, and I turn to Ranking Member Camwell. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Again, sorry to be late. | ||
| I mistakenly thought we were starting at 2:30, but I also want to start with condolences to those impacted by the UPS Flight 2976. | ||
| My heart goes out to the entire UPS organization and to the loved ones that they have lost and those who were injured yesterday evening. | ||
| This is a tragic loss for aviation and certainly the community and citizens of Louisville. | ||
| I also want to thank the first responders for everything they did last night, and I thank the NTSB for their swift response and the FAA and look forward to their investigation and the development in this situation. | ||
| I want to also thank the essential personnel continuing to work during the shutdown and continue to focus on getting a resolution to this issue and continuing to make sure the traveling public is safe. | ||
| For our hearing today, as the chairman mentioned, we have several nominees impacting our transportation infrastructure. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Morris, thank you for being here. | ||
| It's good to see our colleague, Senator Scott, a former member of the committee with us today as well. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, you are nominated to serve as the Under Secretary for Transportation, which is the number three position at the DOT. | ||
| If confirmed, you would oversee policy development across the department, and I expect you to address the administration's competitive grant reevaluation process. | ||
| We should embrace the same goals of improving transportation infrastructure in this country without delay. | ||
| Of significant importance is the I-5 Bridge in my state that crosses the Columbia River. | ||
| I appreciate Secretary Duffy's firm commitment to seeing this project completed. | ||
| And while it is vital to the state of Washington, it is also vital to the national economy. | ||
| I will ask further questions about this and questions about the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and NEPA process. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, I believe we need an Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs who will help with the U.S. being a very strong voice at ICAO in champion efforts to raise global standards on aviation. | ||
| We also need someone who will fight for fair competition in the airline industry that prioritizes U.S. aviation workers and those jobs. | ||
| And I expect you that we will agree on many of those issues. | ||
| I hope you will commit to continuous uninterrupted air service to small and rural communities that is consistent with the 2024 FAA reauthorization law. | ||
| Our final nominee, Trent Morris, President Trump's pick to serve on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Airport Authority. | ||
| We've already heard one discussion from my colleague, but that's literally my airport of choice flying in and out of Washington. | ||
| So I will have questions for you about the operations of DCA and Dulles airports. | ||
| Together, these two airports serve more than 53 million people each year, and passenger traffic grew by 5.8 percent last year. | ||
| And we need to continue to make sure that this capacity, I believe, that Dulles has to grow more business on an international basis. | ||
| I would note that you left the White House recently and had been lobbying for American Airlines and FedEx. | ||
| And I understand that you informed the committee yesterday that you will no longer be lobbying for those companies if you accept this position. | ||
| I expect you to hold you accountable to those commitments and to avoid conflicts of interest from lobbying the board or the board's decision-making process if confirmed. | ||
| And finally, Mr. Chairman, I think we're still waiting to receive complete financial disclosure and ethics papers, so I would hope that we would get all that information from these nominees prior to final committee process. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| And I now turn to my colleague from Tennessee, Senator Blackburn, to introduce Mr. McCormick. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations to each of you. | ||
| We are delighted that you are here, and indeed it is an honor for me to introduce Mr. McCormick today. | ||
| And I had the opportunity to first meet him and work with him when he was Congressman Duffy's legislative director and was impressed with his initiative, aptitude, his passion for improving the lives of Americans. | ||
| When Ryan and I met regarding his nomination, he said that safety is at the forefront of his work, and I know that he prioritizes protecting and saving lives, and that his drive has only strengthened since he now has a family of his own. | ||
| Two beautiful daughters and his wonderful wife are here, and I hear the girls are quiet over there. | ||
| Ryan began his career in public service right after graduating from college. | ||
| He has held nearly every job on Capitol Hill from intern all the way to chief of staff. | ||
| He achieved greater responsibility on the Hill because of his intellect and his genuine care for the constituents that he worked to support. | ||
| Also, because he had that good, strong, solid work ethic. | ||
| For more than a decade, Ryan worked on transportation issues critical to Wisconsin and the country. | ||
| He also served in the first Trump administration as chief of staff at the Export-Import Bank, working tirelessly to reform the institution. | ||
| Following President Trump's reelection last fall, Ryan again answered the call to serve as Secretary Duffy's Deputy Chief of Staff at DOT. | ||
| In his current role, he has supported Secretary Duffy in executing on President Trump's agenda, including the modernization of the nation's air traffic control system and addressing air traffic controller staffing shortages. | ||
| Because of his efforts to close coordinate with the FAA, the hiring process for air traffic controllers shortened by five months, ensuring that candidates who performed best on their aptitude test were seated at the Academy quickly. | ||
| The result speaks for itself. | ||
| Fiscal year 25 saw more candidates go through the academy than any other fiscal year before. | ||
| Ryan has also prioritized smart regulations that enable innovators to compete and succeed. | ||
| He has worked to accelerate the use of advanced air mobility, make transit safer, and continue investments in safety technologies that keep the U.S. ahead of adversaries like China. | ||
| I cannot stress enough how important it is that after natural disasters, the department shows up to assess damage and promptly begin rebuilding what's been damaged or lost. | ||
| Under this administration, the department has done exactly that. | ||
| The Secretary committed his team at DOT to speed up the delivery of federal assistance on the I-40 rebill, and Ryan has been a key part of that effort. | ||
| The culmination of his years of experience and dedication make him a key voice within the Department of Transportation. | ||
| He is eminently qualified to serve as Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, and I am so honored to introduce him today. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I will now turn to our colleague from the Sunshine State, Senator Scott. | ||
| Welcome back to the Commerce Committee, and Senator Scott is here to introduce Mr. Morris. | ||
| All right. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Camwell. | ||
| It's nice to be here, members of the committee. | ||
| You two do a great job. | ||
| Congratulations on all the success getting pills through the committee, at least. | ||
| Harder on the floor. | ||
| It's an honor to sit before you today to introduce Mr. Trent Morris to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. | ||
| I've known Trent for many years. | ||
| In 2010, when I first ran for governor, nobody knew me. | ||
| He was a student at Florida State University. | ||
| He worked as an unpaid volunteer during my first campaign for governor of Florida when nobody would show up. | ||
| After helping me win my first gubernatorial race, he became an intern in our external affairs office, working his way up to his first full-time job while he's still a full-time college student. | ||
| He did a great job in the governor's office. | ||
| He cared about the success of Florida, and he did all he could to make everybody around him a success. | ||
| Over the years, I've gotten to see him continue to grow his professional career. | ||
| Like I always told my team when I was governor, they're clearly the legacy of any governor. | ||
| It makes me proud to see Trent and so many members of my team have successful careers and do incredible things with their life. | ||
| Trent's success is a great example of that. | ||
| He was a critical member of the President's campaign. | ||
| He had a leading role in a successful RNC convention, and he most recently worked closely with President Trump to find great people to serve in the administration. | ||
| He did a phenomenal job helping the President find people to help implement his agenda as a deputy director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. | ||
| Throughout his career, Trent has proven he is a capable leader and has the ability to build teams, foster accountability, and make decisions that prioritize long-term success. | ||
| And I can personally speak to his work, ethic, and professionalism over the years. | ||
| I urge this committee to fully consider and support his nomination. | ||
| I look forward to his nomination vote on the Senate floor. | ||
| And thank you again, Trinity. | ||
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Good luck. | |
| Thank you, Senator Scott. | ||
| and you've clearly had a significant impact on his career, so much so that he's chosen to emulate your hairstyle. | ||
| I now recognize Mr. McCormick for his opening statement. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as you consider my nomination for the position of Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. | ||
| I am grateful to President Trump for his trust in nominating me for this role, to Senator Blackburn for that kind introduction, and to Secretary Duffy for his faith and support every step of the way. | ||
| I also want to introduce and thank my family who are here with me today. | ||
| My wife Anna is here. | ||
| Anna and I have been together for nearly 13 years, and she too is a public servant, currently entering her 14th year as staff in the House of Representatives. | ||
| We share two beautiful children together, ages three and one, both of whom are here with us today too. | ||
| At the Department of Transportation, our mantra is safety. | ||
| It is at the forefront of all the work we do, and we take our obligation very seriously. | ||
| For myself, I have always understood that the stakes in transportation are high. | ||
| But even still, early into our tenure, we received a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our public duty. | ||
| As you all know, on January 29th of this year, American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River. | ||
| 67 lives were lost that night. | ||
| Secretary Duffy and I were on scene in the immediate aftermath. | ||
| Seeing families grieve unimaginable loss is something I will never forget. | ||
| I also want to take a moment for us to reflect on other families going through tragedy today. | ||
| My thoughts and prayers go to the families of yesterday's fatal plane crash near Louisville International Airport. | ||
| We now know that nine people have lost their lives and many others are injured. | ||
| I appreciate the efforts of first responders, many of whom have worked through the night. | ||
| Although the cause is not yet known, both the FAA and NTSB are on site and investigating. | ||
| It is critical we do Right by Americans traversing the nation's roadways, railways, and skies by continuing to put safety first in all that we do. | ||
| If confirmed, I will be devoted to this purpose and will pay particular attention to further reducing highway fatalities. | ||
| The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released early estimates for motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the first half of 2025, forecasting an 8.2 percent reduction in roadway deaths from 2024. | ||
| These preliminary figures are encouraging, but even still, there is more we can and will do to reduce fatalities further. | ||
| Whether it be from new technology, accelerated project delivery, or cracking down on bad actors on our roads, we must be comprehensive in our approach and let safety be our guide. | ||
| I am incredibly fortunate to serve at the Department of Transportation at such a pivotal time when so many advancements are being made in technology that will allow for safer and more efficient transportation. | ||
| Never before have people and goods moved in such varied ways. | ||
| We are at the advent of advanced air mobility, autonomous vehicle deployment, drone delivery, and we expect the next five years will see 1,000 commercial space launches, the same number of all space launches combined over the last 40 years. | ||
| If confirmed, I will work to continue these important efforts. | ||
| To foster innovation and technological advancement, I would advance effective regulations that enable further innovation and maintain U.S. leadership in this critical area. | ||
| I commit to accelerating project delivery and removing barriers that grant applicants face when accessing federal resources. | ||
| In particular, I would like to work with this committee and the Congress on simplifying and streamlining grant programs. | ||
| There are more than 100 grant programs within the Department, all with variable eligibility criteria, inconsistent definitions, different announcement and awarding procedures, and overlapping focus areas that make the process overly complex for applicants to apply and career staff to process. | ||
| In addition, the systems utilized for tracking grant applications are cumbersome, complex, redundant, and opaque. | ||
| Applicants do not know the status of their grant at various stages of obligation, and I would work to ensure the department is more transparent with applicants. | ||
| If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation, I look forward to working with Secretary Duffy, President Trump, and members of this committee to make our world-class transportation infrastructure for America. | ||
| Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I now recognize Mr. McCorby for his opening statement. | ||
| I'm sorry. | ||
| Mr. Edwards. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman. | ||
| Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Camwell, and members of the committee, good afternoon. | ||
| My name is Dan Edwards, and it's truly my honor to be nominated as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the United States Department of Transportation. | ||
| I want to start by thanking President Trump for the honor of nomination and Secretary Sean Duffy for the confidence and steadfast support during my time at DOT. | ||
| Joining me today is my wife of 30 years, an anchor to the Edwards family, Kimberly. | ||
| I owe the Air Force a huge debt for stationing me near her hometown of Utica, New York, where we met and began a life where she thought she had signed on to a turbulent, free, full-motion simulator ride, but in reality got strapped into a high-G journey with an uncertain destination. | ||
| I'm so blessed to have her by my side. | ||
| Also, here are my identical twin 27-year-old daughters, Jillian and Kaelin. | ||
| They were born on July 4th in Camden, New Jersey, into a level 4 neonatal intensive care unit, the highest level of critical care, and to this day, they follow the light. | ||
| When they were 16, they enlisted the help of their grandfather Earl, who was an accountant, to start a nonprofit called Jillian's Jitterbug. | ||
| The organization continues to provide financial assistance for families to purchase equipment that allows their disabled children to become independent. | ||
| Lastly, I'm joined by my brother, Colonel Doug Edwards, and his wife and son, Joy and Ethan, without whom my service in Washington would not be possible. | ||
| And one late addition, I'm honored to have the CEO of the Association of Graduates from the Air Force Academy here today, Mr. Mark Hilley. | ||
| I began my public service in 1987 when I attended the United States Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 23 years. | ||
| In that time, I was an airfield engineer and a KC-10 pilot, flying over 100 combat missions. | ||
| During my time in the reserves, I flew as a commercial pilot and accumulated over 4,000 hours as both a military and commercial pilot. | ||
| Following my time as an Air Force and airline pilot, I dedicated the next 25 years of my career to the aerospace and defense industry. | ||
| This experience allowed me to gain a broad understanding spanning product development, safety, airfield engineering and construction, C4ISR, supply chain and distribution, and aircraft maintenance. | ||
| I'm eager to apply those skills of public service and contribute to the next big leap in aviation. | ||
| I have found my time in DOT over the last six months professionally rewarding given the broad and profound impact of our work. | ||
| If confirmed, serving as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs would represent the apex of my career, and it is my intent to demonstrate my fitness to do so today in this hearing. | ||
| I humbly thank you for your time and consideration. | ||
| I believe we find ourselves at a pivotal time in aviation. | ||
| Just 60 years passed between the Wright brothers' first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and John Glenn's orbit around the Earth. | ||
| We are 63 years removed from that first orbit, and with the advent of advanced air mobility, we are sitting on the next inflection point in aviation history. | ||
| Safety is paramount. | ||
| Takeoffs and landings must remain in balance. | ||
| That has always been my mantra. | ||
| In my youth, that mantra was focused on me, my logbook, my personal commitment to safety. | ||
| Later, my focus turned to others, wingmen, those under my command, those in my airline. | ||
| Now, my work in DOT and FAA expands the focus much more broadly to our national aerospace system. | ||
| One landing for every takeoff, period. | ||
| In that context today, my heart goes out to our UPS family and those first responders that supported the horrific events last evening. | ||
| If confirmed, I would continue to work under Secretary Duffy's leadership to continue the Department's core mission of ensuring transportation safety, especially in America's skies. | ||
| While maintaining safety as the most important goal, I will pursue three additional key goals. | ||
| One, ensuring the economic viability of U.S. carriers through thoughtful economic licensing, development and enforcement of international agreements, and access to a competition-friendly market. | ||
| Two, supporting the development of infrastructure that will meet the dynamic needs of the American economy and commercializing new technologies to ensure U.S. aviation leadership. | ||
| And perhaps most importantly, three, sustaining and enhancing access to commercial air service for all Americans. | ||
| I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead large organizations in the military and private sectors, gaining extensive experience leading multi-site global businesses. | ||
| I'm hopeful that you will find the path that I have taken to this chamber on this day worthy of confirmation to serve in the Department of Transportation. | ||
| Thank you, and I look forward to your questions. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I now recognize Mr. Morse for his opening statement. | ||
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Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as you consider my nomination to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. | |
| I'd also like to express my deepest condolences. | ||
| My hearts and prayers go out to the entire UPS family and Louisville community after the tragic aviation accident that occurred last night. | ||
| I am deeply grateful for your time and for the courtesies extended by you and your staff throughout this process. | ||
| Many of you and your staff have shared valuable insight that will guide me in this role, and if confirmed, I look forward to continuing a productive relationship with this committee. | ||
| I would also like to thank Senator Scott for his introduction and for his support over the years. | ||
| I extend my heartfelt appreciation to President Trump for nominating me. | ||
| It has been a privilege of a lifetime to work for him since 2016, and I am humbled by the trust he has placed in me for this important position. | ||
| I want to also thank my family and many of my dear friends who are here with me today or watching online. | ||
| I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, and went to both undergraduate and law school at Florida State University. | ||
| I was always interested in being involved in public service, and in 2010, I applied for my first internship with newly elected governor that upended the entire Florida political system. | ||
| It was from that internship where I worked my way up to my very first job as a State employee in Governor Rick Scott's office. | ||
| Those early experiences taught me the importance of public safety service. | ||
| My professional experience includes State and Federal Public Service, but also the private sector, which I believe will serve as an asset to the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority. | ||
| I am personally passionate about transportation. | ||
| I am a self-described aviation geek. | ||
| I have worked for the Transportation and Infrastructure Holding Company, Florida DOT, and during the first Trump administration, I served at USDOT. | ||
| I left Federal service in September, where I most recently served as the Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel, working to oversee the recruitment and hiring of more than 3,200 political appointees across the Federal Government. | ||
| If confirmed, I will work closely with my fellow members of the Board of Directors to ensure that travelers through Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International Airport have complete confidence in their safety and security. | ||
| The National Capital Region is one of the busiest and most sensitive aviation environments in the country, requiring constant vigilance, coordination, and an unwavering commitment to passenger safety. | ||
| With the recent events at DCA and the plans for continued modernization and expansion, I will uphold the highest standards of safety, ethical integrity, and transparency. | ||
| The Authority's mission to ensure that every passenger receives the highest level of safety and customer service will remain my guiding focus. | ||
| MWAL plays a vital role in connecting our nation's capital to the world. | ||
| It supports commerce and tourism, but it's how many of you get home to your family and to your constituencies. | ||
| I want to ensure that this airport system continues to be that critical link and can be a showcase for our country. | ||
| We have seen the continued investment in the facilities at Ronald Reagan. | ||
| I think we all remember Gate 35X. | ||
| But we must ensure that the international gateway to our nation's capital, Dulles, is a world-class facility. | ||
| As of today, there's not a single U.S. international airport ranked in the top 10 airports worldwide, and I think we have an opportunity here. | ||
| The People Mover is a relic of the past. | ||
| It's an embarrassment that international travelers, when visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world, are transported back to the 60s. | ||
| If I have the privilege of being confirmed, I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to make Dulles the airport we should be proud of. | ||
| I am committed to ensuring MWAL continues to operate responsibly and efficiently while also meeting the growing demands of the traveling public and maintaining the highest standards of safety and professionalism. | ||
| Once again, I thank the committee for its consideration of my nomination and for the courtesy extended throughout this process. | ||
| If confirmed, I'll work diligently and collaboratively with this committee and my fellow board members to advance the mission of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and get rid of the people mover. | ||
| It would be an honor to serve in this position, and I look forward to your questions. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, let's start with you. | ||
| Since 2022, the government of Mexico has been in violation of the U.S.-Mexico Open Skies Agreement after the Mexican President manipulated the cargo environment at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. | ||
| The office you are nominated to lead is responsible for enforcing open skies agreements. | ||
| Since the Trump administration has begun to engage with Mexico, has Mexico made any progress in meeting their obligations under the bilateral aviation agreement? | ||
| Senator, thanks for the Senator, thank you for that question. | ||
| Very complicated situation with Mexico that has bridged two administrations on both sides. | ||
| Despite best efforts by the previous administration and ours today, we have not made a ton of progress. | ||
| We have worked very diligently and hard to get them to come into compliance with this open skies agreement, which they signed in 2015 and subsequently in 22 confiscated slots of U.S. carriers, denying us access to Moore's airport. | ||
| Also, they have made no progress on being transparent with how the slots are allocated and what hours of the day and in what quantity. | ||
| And in the time period where U.S. carrier slots were confiscated, Mexican airlines have added frequencies to the U.S. | ||
| So they have increased their flying while ours have been confiscated. | ||
| And then lastly, with the cargo operations being shifted out to a distant airport, U.S. cargo carriers are forced to operate not directly into Mexico City's airport, while Mexican carriers are allowed to carry belly cargo, taking market share away from cargo carriers. | ||
| So we issued a show cause order and then recently a final order where we made very clear the steps that MESCO needs to take to come into compliance, and we have not had any progress to date. | ||
| So I commend President Trump and Secretary Duffy for holding Mexico accountable to the Open Skies Agreement. | ||
| Clearly, the Biden administration neglected its responsibilities for upholding a competitive aviation environment. | ||
| What can you tell this committee about the status of negotiations and, in particular, what do you see as an off-ramp? | ||
| So the best off-ramp here is quite simple. | ||
| We have laid out four very distinct steps that the Mexican government needs to take to come into compliance with the agreement. | ||
| So, of course, we have frozen future growth of flights of Mexican carriers to the U.S., so their flights are now capped. | ||
| Now we have to get our U.S. carrier flights back, get back to parity, and then have a clear slot regime where there is transparency on who is being allocated flights, when and where. | ||
| And at that point, the market can grow together, just like every other open skies agreement, dozens of them we have around the world. | ||
| So it's imperative that we enforce it. | ||
| Other countries are looking at how we respond to this. | ||
| So last week, Secretary Duffy canceled routes or proposed routes from Mexican carriers to the United States. | ||
| The cancellations were due to Mexico's disproportionate slot rules in Mexico City that hurt U.S. passenger and cargo carriers. | ||
| Two Ara-Mexico routes between Mexico City and Houston and between Mexico City and McAllen, Texas, were both included in the list of canceled flights. | ||
| I am particularly concerned about the canceled McAllen flight, since no other carrier has nonstop service to Mexico City at this time. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, do you expect that Texas cities that have lost service due to DOT actions taken in response to this open skies dispute will be made whole? | ||
| Senator Cruz, thank you for that question. | ||
| And it is an imperative that these flights be returned to Texas. | ||
| When we are able to get the Mexican government back into compliance, those flights will return and they will be flown by an American carrier or by a Mexican carrier, but they will come back. | ||
| Well, I would urge swiftness in resolving this because I am certainly hearing from constituents who are dismayed not to have direct flights to Mexico City. | ||
| I completely understand, Senator. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, the Biden-Boutigeg DOT used its time in office to advance its radical left-wing priorities, including by adding environmental justice and DEI requirements to grant programs far beyond any statutory authority to do so. | ||
| For example, the DOT's massive multimodal project discretionary grants evaluated whether projects address things like, quote, housing cost burdens, whether the project will reverse, quote, disadvantage by, quote, fighting climate change, or whether the project includes, quote, comprehensive planning and policies to promote hiring of underrepresented populations. | ||
| Can you talk about how this administration has refocused DOT to safety, and if confirmed, how you will continue to do so? | ||
| Happy to do so, Senator, and thank you for that question. | ||
| To your exact point, the previous administration had included in their grant agreements and schedules H and I some of this language or criteria that was debated in the Congress for IJA and left on the sidelines. | ||
| These are things that the Congress couldn't come agreement to, but at the previous administration within DOT, they decided to move those things forward anyway. | ||
| So what we've simply done since day one is to come in, refocus the grant agreement process on the actual statutory requirements that we are obligated to do and make sure that when we're speaking with applicants, they have a better understanding of what their obligations are with the department, that we are simply looking for safety, not maybe some of these extraneous factors that were being weighed by the previous administration in deciding where dollars went. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Ranking Member Cantwell. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, in your testimony, you said we needed to improve transparency in the grant process. | ||
| I've been concerned there isn't enough. | ||
| Will you provide a complete list of roughly 200 grants that are still under review by USDOT? | ||
| Yeah, thank you for the question, Senator. | ||
| And I know that I was working with your staff previous to this hearing with a list of withdrawn and terminated grants that we have provided. | ||
| I know that we are working on what the rest of that is, understanding that it is a deliberative process. | ||
| But even in the time since the minority staff interview last week where we had around 200 or so, the department has obligated another 89 of those grants, which we've done the appropriate congressional notifications to authorizers and appropriators. | ||
| So we are working our way through that process. | ||
| You'll engage senators before any kind of cancellation. | ||
| We'll follow all the appropriate congressional notification, Senator. | ||
| The I-5 bridge, we had a chance to talk about this. | ||
| Obviously, bridge capacity is important to our region because we move so much freight, but it's also important to the United States of America for our competitiveness and national business groups like the American Trucking Association. | ||
| Will you commit to keep working on this project and the NEPA process to complete it on time? | ||
| Yeah, absolutely, Senator. | ||
| Thank you for that. | ||
| And we'll continue to work with you and your staff on that specific issue. | ||
| I understand from both the staff meeting as well as our meeting yesterday how important it is to the region. | ||
| I know it's a significant priority for Secretary Duffy to continue to engage in that regard and that at federal highways as well as FTA there have been productive conversations with. | ||
| Will you keep the capital investment grant program pipeline until it can be rated by the Federal Transit Administration? | ||
| Yeah, I would have to defer and work with the Federal Transit Administration on that specific subject. | ||
| As it relates to IBR, I've not been involved in my current role but would expect to take a more direct role if confirmed. | ||
| Okay, Mr. Morris, the MWA workforce is a big part of the job, 5.8 percent increase in the previous traffic year. | ||
| MOAL workers struggle with the high cost of living in the greater D.C. area and deserve wage increases and compensation. | ||
| If confirmed, would you support fair compensation for airport concession and contract workers? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Well, thank you for your question, Senator. | |
| I'm very interested on the concession program of keeping costs down for consumers that transit the airport. | ||
| As you might have experienced, when you go in and buy a water bottle for about $10, it's a high cost. | ||
| And I just want to ensure that all the concessions continue to keep costs down for consumers that pass through that airport. | ||
| But what about the workers and their compensation? | ||
| Sorry, go ahead. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator, for the question. | |
| I want to make sure that they're paid accordingly. | ||
| But at the end of the day, I want to make sure that costs remain low for passengers throughout those facilities. | ||
| Will you commit to work with us? | ||
| There's a specific issue we didn't get to finally address in the FAA bill, and that is the fact that the RAMP workers, and there's a number of workers that work at airports that kind of fall in between the airlines and the airports and thus don't have any health insurance. | ||
| Will you work with us to try to help resolve this issue? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I will work with the committee on these matters if they're within the purview of MLA. | |
| Okay, thank you. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, well, you can be an example airport. | ||
| If you ask me, they're more important than the 1960s people movers. | ||
| It's more important to have safe and secure workers at the airport, particularly when you want them to clean the planes and you don't want people to be sick. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, what about the, you know, you and Senator Cruz had a robust discussion. | ||
| I'm not going to leap into that. | ||
| You know, I might ask you for the record about what your views on competition really are. | ||
| You know, we sell airplanes in the Northwest, so we benefit whether they're bought, whoever buys them, we benefit. | ||
| But we do, I agree with Senator Cruz, you have to keep this competition and you have to keep a robust environment where we are opening up markets and hopefully encouraging more U.S. carriers to go to international destinations. | ||
| But I wanted to ask you about ICAO. | ||
| I know that Secretary Duffy has been pushing back on ICO as it relates to decarbonization efforts. | ||
| How are we going to keep the upper hand at IKA if we are stepping away from ICO? | ||
| I mean, if you ask me, the United States needs to be more full-throated in setting the agenda. | ||
| And by that, I mean on safety standards that we believe should be around the world and not shying away and stepping away and let China dominate or let somebody else dominate on that front. | ||
| How do we solve that problem? | ||
| Senator Campbell, thank you for that question. | ||
| Thank you for broaching a topic I'm very passionate about. | ||
| So the ICO Assembly, as you know, occurs every three years. | ||
| And during my time on the job, I've made two separate visits to Montreal to get a sense of what was going on on the ground there. | ||
| We are 100% committed to taking a leadership role in IKO, we, the United States. | ||
| There's a critical piece related to safety, as you mentioned. | ||
| There's international competition and any number of topics where, absent our presence and our leadership, others will write the playbook. | ||
| So it's imperative that we have a strong presence there. | ||
| Secretary Duffy has authorized me to add two additional people to the staff in Montreal to strengthen DOT's presence and to make sure that our agendas and our positions are widely held. | ||
| There are any number of international topics that we don't want led by China and Russia. | ||
| So while we were at IKO, at the most recent assembly, the biggest accomplishment that Secretary Duffy led was the council vote. | ||
| So of the 160-plus nations that voted on who was going to lead IKO in the council for the next three years, we came within six votes of Russia making it on that council. | ||
| So if you do that math, like we're within six votes of 50 percent of the world thinking that Russia should be leading at IKO. | ||
| And that absolutely did not happen due to Secretary Duffy's effort and the efforts to. | ||
| I'm glad that you see the urgency of this issue, and that's why I think stepping away and losing the ability to set standards and play a leadership role so critical. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Fisher. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| My home state of Nebraska is home to seven communities that are served by Essential Air Service. | ||
| Rural communities rely heavily on Essential Air Service program to provide connectivity and access to critical services. | ||
| In addition to providing these services, EAS also helps these communities attract business and visitors, driving our local economies. | ||
| I was very disappointed to see significant funding cuts for EAS and DOT's budget proposal for FY26. | ||
| Mr. McCormick and Mr. Edwards, will you both commit to working with me to ensure that my Nebraska communities and the rest of rural America are not harmed by reductions in EAS funding? | ||
| Thank you for that question, Senator. | ||
| And I would just simply add, one, of course, would love to continue working with you and your staff on that issue. | ||
| EAS funding is a priority of Secretary Duffy's. | ||
| When he was a congressman, he had two EAS airports in his district. | ||
| And I think that you've seen as we've dealt with this difficulty and lapse in appropriation, the Department has really been doing all that we possibly can in order to keep EAS funded through this difficult time. | ||
| So again, would love to continue working with you and your staff on that vital issue. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Edwards? | ||
| Senator, you also have my commitment. | ||
| EAS is a critical program to our small and rural communities, and we find ourselves in a situation that aviation is truly gravitating towards large hubs and toward the coast. | ||
| We need to ensure that there's opportunity for every American to access commercial flights and get to where they want to go. | ||
| So not only do you have my commitment to support it, but you have my commitment to make sure that those dollars are executed much, much more efficiently. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Another one of my communities in my state alliance, they filed a petition for reconsideration on a recent EAS order. | ||
| As of today, Alliance Nebraska has still not received an answer to that petition from DOD EAS office. | ||
| And I know that my staff has been in contact with DOT on the petition, and I have concerns about how Alliance has been treated throughout this process. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, I would encourage you to ensure that Alliance's petition is considered in a timely fashion. | ||
| And Mr. Edwards, should you be confirmed, I would like you to carefully consider that petition as well. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, Nebraskans want safe and reliable rail service, but Amtrak has not always been fiscally responsible, nor have they been cooperative with their state rail partners who are operating profitable rail service across the network. | ||
| My legislation, the Amtrak Transparency Act, opens broad meetings to state or board meetings to state partners and requires disclosures of executive bonuses. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, as DOT Deputy Secretary, how will you address the concerns over Amtrak's fiscal responsibility and ensure that they work well with their state rail partners? | ||
| Thank you for that question, Senator. | ||
| And I can't say that I've reviewed the legislation, though I am aware of maybe a companion. | ||
| That's fabulous. | ||
| I'm sure it is. | ||
| And would love to work with you and your staff on any technical assistance that may be required as part of that process. | ||
| Certainly it makes sense to me that as Amtrak would require transparency into the executive compensation. | ||
| And I'm sure you're well aware of this situation with the bonuses. | ||
| Generally aware, yes, of that situation. | ||
| And as you may know, the Secretary does have a designee to the board. | ||
| His designee today is Deputy Secretary Stephen Bradbury. | ||
| And so I know that making sure that it's successful, making sure it's cost-effective, is seriously a priority of the Secretaries and would love to keep the conversation going with you and your staff on your legislation. | ||
| Okay, thank you very much. | ||
| Mr. Morris, Congress authorized the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to operate and make decisions for both Reagan National and Dulles airports. | ||
| When making any decision regarding one of the two airports, the airport authority considers how that decision impacts the other airport. | ||
| I have heard that these decisions often benefit Dulles at the expense of Reagan. | ||
| Do you think the different goals of each airport could be a conflict of interest for the decisions made by the airport authority that oversees both airports? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator, for your question. | |
| I don't believe it would be a conflict between the two airports. | ||
| I want to ensure that both airports continue to remain a good choice, a competitive choice for the passengers that use them and keep costs low between the two of them. | ||
| I think that we've got a great opportunity with Dulles. | ||
| It can be a transformative infrastructure project for this country and make it a more competitive airport for a lot of the users in this area. | ||
| Would you agree that DCA is effectively subsidizing some of Dulles's operations? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I don't know if I'd agree with that. | |
| I'd want to work with both airports to ensure that costs remain low for the users that operate out of those two facilities. | ||
| If confirmed, how are you going to make sure that decisions of the airport authority benefit both the airports and their passengers? | ||
| And where do you see funding coming from to be able to reach some of the goals that you have expressed for Dulles? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you for your question, Senator. | |
| I think it's important to be creative with some of the infrastructure projects that I'm interested in seeing the board take up at Dulles International Airport. | ||
| Why haven't we looked at public-private partnerships? | ||
| If you look at what have been very transformative projects at JFK and LaGuardia in a record amount of time, that was because it had the private industry and private sector involved. | ||
| So I'd want to work to find out if we can do a public-private partnership at that facility. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Earlier this year, this committee advanced my legislation, which was the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act. | ||
| That bill allows the FMCSA to impose civil penalties against these unauthorized brokers. | ||
| While the legislation is primarily focused on the trucking industry, I have increasingly heard from constituents across all modes of transportation about the negative impacts of cargo theft. | ||
| And we are seeing increasing acts that appear tied to cartel activity and organized crime. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, should you be confirmed, I would like to see DOT working across modes to address the ongoing increase in cargo theft. | ||
| Would you be open to that? | ||
| And do you believe that that problem is increasing? | ||
| Absolutely, sire. | ||
| Thank you for the question. | ||
| I couldn't say whether it's increasing at this time, but I would say certainly it is a priority of Secretary Duffy's that we engage with our interagency partners and provide what expertise we can in order to reduce cargo theft. | ||
| I think what you have said, there seems to be significant evidence that transnational criminal enterprises are at play in that criminal activity, and we want to make sure we do our part to reduce it. | ||
| Thank you so much. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Luhan. | ||
| Senator Fisher, thank you for that last question. | ||
| I look forward to visiting more with you in this space. | ||
| It's an issue that there's a bipartisan group of members, as you already aware, that have been raising this issue. | ||
| So I'd love to follow up with the team. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling this meeting. | ||
| I have a simple yes or no question each of the panelists to start off with. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, will you agree to follow the law? | ||
| Yes, Senator. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, will you agree to follow the law? | ||
| Yes, Senator. | ||
| Mr. Morse, will you agree to follow the law? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, Senator. | |
| Mr. McCormick, yes or no? | ||
| Would you carry out an illegal order? | ||
| No, Senator, I would not. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, would you carry out an illegal order? | ||
| Yes or no? | ||
| No, Senator. | ||
| Mr. Morse, would you carry out an illegal order? | ||
| Yes or no? | ||
|
unidentified
|
No, Senator. | |
| Appreciate that. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, in your opening statement, I appreciate you saying that a priority is to, quote, put safety first in all that we do. | ||
| I applaud that and I appreciate that, sir. | ||
| As you may know, I worked with several of my Republican colleagues, Rick Scott being a co-sponsor of something called the Wright Act and HALT Act. | ||
| One of our colleagues on this committee as well, Shalimore Capito, has been instrumental in this legislation. | ||
| It was signed into law under President Biden, Secretary Buttigig. | ||
| I'm very disappointed that under President Biden and Secretary Butigig, they did not finalize this law, this rule, that arguably will save as many as 10,000 lives a year to prevent drunk driving. | ||
| You may not know, sir, that I survived a drunk driving crash in the early 1990s. | ||
| I passed this bipartisan legislation with the goal of saying, hey, this is bipartisan. | ||
| Everyone's working on it. | ||
| We should be able to do this. | ||
| Safety first. | ||
| I've read recently that there's new technology in some of these vehicles across the country that are called, quote, full self-driving, quote, eyes off, and even something called, quote, Mad Max that is available in some vehicles that lets, if you buy the subscription, if you sign on to it, it lets you change lanes more aggressively. | ||
| All right. | ||
| Yeah, I mean, it's incredible. | ||
| I hope we have a hearing about that one. | ||
| Now, my question, Mr. McCormick: the United States Department of Transportation is now approaching the second congressional deadline for a final rule on November 15, just 10 days away. | ||
| Yes or no, will you pledge to dedicate the necessary time and resources to complete NHTSA's rulemaking? | ||
| Thank you for the question, Senator, and absolutely follow the law. | ||
| I know that there may be a requirement related to that. | ||
| I would also be upfront in saying that due to the lapse in appropriations, significant rulemaking activity of the department has been hampered. | ||
| But would love to work with NHTSA, whatever may be required, and dig into the details of your legislation. | ||
| Sure. | ||
|
unidentified
|
No one moved anything when the government was open, man. | |
| 10,000 lives. | ||
| I'm mindful when I'm in a hearing room and on the floor not to use language that I use when I'm on the small farm when I'm home. | ||
| I won't do it here. | ||
| I'm tired of the excuses and all the rest, man. | ||
| We've got to find a way to save people's lives, and I just hope we can get there. | ||
| We need to work to get the government open up. | ||
| I completely agree. | ||
| We need to prevent people's health insurance premiums from doubling. | ||
| I hope we all agree on that as well. | ||
| But we've got to save people's lives. | ||
| I'm hoping we can do that. | ||
| My question to you, Mr. McCormick, is: Will you commit to working with me, Senator Capito, Senator Scott, and others in Congress, as well as the auto industry, the drunk driving victims, survivors, mothers against drunk driving, to set us on a path to eliminate drunk driving? | ||
| Yeah, absolutely, Senator. | ||
| Would love to work with you and your office on that. | ||
| Like I said, I mean, highway fatalities is something that I would love to see reduced to the department. | ||
| 30% of all highway fatalities are related to drunk driving, as you said. | ||
| And whatever we can do within our authorities to push forward a workable solution, we should explore. | ||
| Amen to that. | ||
| I appreciate that, sir. | ||
| Mr. Morris, I asked you earlier if you would carry out an illegal order. | ||
| Your response was no. | ||
| During your time as deputy director of the PPO, did you personally write and send emails to a number of inspector generals that, quote, due to changing priorities, close quote, they were being terminated effectively immediately? | ||
| Yes or no? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, I did send that email. | |
| Mr. Morris, yes or no? | ||
| Are you aware that the Inspector General Act requires that any president removing an Inspector General shall communicate in writing the substantiative rationale not later than 30 days before the removal or transfer? | ||
|
unidentified
|
On that question, and thank you, Senator, for that question. | |
| I would have to refer you to the Department of Justice, which has ongoing litigation on that matter. | ||
| Is that the law today? | ||
| I'm sorry. | ||
| Is the Inspector General Act the law today? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I would have to defer you to the Department of Justice on that particular matter. | |
| That's subject to litigation. | ||
| I can't comment on that. | ||
| You could. | ||
| Mr. Morris, yes or no? | ||
| Did the President provide the required 30-day notice prior to your emails firing the Inspector Generals, or is that subject to the law? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I would have to defer you to the Department of Justice and White House Counsel on that matter. | |
| So you don't know if he did or didn't, or that there's a question if he did or didn't. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I'd have to refer you to the White House on that matter. | |
| All right. | ||
| Mr. Morris, yes or no, did the White House conduct any kind of legal analysis to double check the law before sending these notices? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I would have to refer you to the White House on that matter, Senator. | |
| Thank you for your question. | ||
| Is this how you're going to conduct your responsibilities if you're confirmed? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Senator, thank you for that. | |
| I look forward to working with you if I have the opportunity to be confirmed at the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| At least you didn't have to reference some lawsuit on that one, man. | ||
| Mr. Morris, I don't have any more questions for you. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, one of the areas that I hope that we can find some agreement, there's a lot of us that ride bicycles. | ||
| I appreciate the family being here today. | ||
| I'm assuming you want your children to have a safe place to ride bicycles? | ||
| Absolutely, Senator. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yeah. | |
| There were some grants canceled. | ||
| The chair asked a couple questions about these, but grants in different parts of the country to expand bike lanes. | ||
| You're responsible for canceling some of those, correct? | ||
| I wouldn't say that I would. | ||
| No, senor. | ||
| I just dispute that characterization of it. | ||
| I think that if you responsible in doing that ultimately led to the cancellation of those. | ||
| What am I responsible in doing, Senator? | ||
| What did you do? | ||
| Well, again, Senator, I'm Deputy Chief of Staff of the Department. | ||
| There are significant priorities that I pursue on behalf of the Department. | ||
| As I explained during my minority staff interview, we have taken a stance of the Department. | ||
| We're trying to emphasize where we can vehicular traffic, making sure that we're not constraining vehicular or motorist capacity in order to add on bicycle lanes. | ||
| So really it's not an opposition to bike or pedestrian infrastructure. | ||
| I would say that the department supports all means of transportation. | ||
| But when it comes to constraining other capacity in order to enable that, we would prefer. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| Your response to Senator Cruz about the DEI and all the rest is that the previous administration carried out a responsibility or carried something out that Congress was silent on and that it was important for the Trump administration, Secretary Duffy, and yourself to respond to that. | ||
| Is that a fair characterization of your response to Senator Cruz? | ||
| My characterization was we wanted to return to the statutory and my question is just to remind you, when you were asked about the shift, you stated that the previous administration's focus on bike paths and transit inadvertently restricted was possible when it came to family size. | ||
| Can you provide me with the data that your team used to determine that bike paths inadvertently restrict family size? | ||
| I think that what you're referring to is a quote I have in the New York Times in June. | ||
| Yeah, I'll follow up in writing there. | ||
| I'm just hoping that we can find a way to do this. | ||
| Look, DEI and all the rest is acronyms and all the rest. | ||
| I'll close up here, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Finding safe pathways for families to get to school probably promotes greater family size. | ||
| It promotes safer places for people to get to commute. | ||
| That's not partisan. | ||
| And I hope that in some of these conversations that we just find a better way to get to these places, all that I'm asking. | ||
| Good luck to all of you. | ||
| I pray for you. | ||
| I hope we can all do better in this country, including myself. | ||
| And thanks for letting me go over quite a bit, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| Thank you, Senator Luhan. | ||
| Senator Moreno. | ||
| Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, you said something at the beginning that I just want to probe on. | ||
| I think it's important for my Democrat colleagues to hear this. | ||
| You prioritize vehicle safety. | ||
| Is that accurate? | ||
| Would you say that, look, your North Stars, you've got to make cars safer. | ||
| Is that true? | ||
| Absolutely, Senator. | ||
| All right. | ||
| And obviously, there's vehicle affordability. | ||
| Let's put that over here for a second. | ||
| Senator Lujan mentioned different autonomous vehicle levels. | ||
| There's zero, which means the car basically is old school, no assistance, level one, level two, level three, level four, level five, no steering wheel. | ||
| You jump in a car and off it goes. | ||
| Are you aware of how many vehicles had level one or higher autonomous technology back in 2012? | ||
| I don't expect you to know. | ||
| So I'm going to give you the answer. | ||
| Three models. | ||
| So one, two, three cars featured it as optional equipment. | ||
| Why do I point out 2012 model year cars? | ||
| Like, who cares? | ||
| That's the average age of the car today in America. | ||
| That means half the cars on the road are older than 2012. | ||
| Since 2012, 16 million vehicles have been made with more than level one autonomy. | ||
| So how is affordability and safety tie in together? | ||
| You make cars more expensive. | ||
| People will keep their cars longer. | ||
| Is that accurate? | ||
| That is what we've seen, Senator. | ||
| Certainly there have been the age of a car has been pushed back in America. | ||
| Some of the features that have been added certainly do add to the cost of the vehicle. | ||
| And people don't have unlimited budgets when they come buy a car, right? | ||
| They don't just go in and say, I'll take every option. | ||
| Would you agree? | ||
| I do agree with that. | ||
| Would it surprise you that I got the VIN numbers of every one of my Democrat colleagues' vehicles and found that none of them bought any of the additional safety technologies on their cars? | ||
| I did not know that, Senator. | ||
| So when you are actually shopping for a car with your own money, you don't buy the technology. | ||
| But we're sitting here saying that this should be mandated for everybody else's cars. | ||
| And what's been the result? | ||
| We drove up the price of cars almost doubled in the last 10 years. | ||
| Car prices have doubled in the last 10 years. | ||
| That's why cars are now 13 years old and why the fleet is less safe. | ||
| Think about that. | ||
| Now, back in 2012, the average miles per gallon on a car was 24 miles per gallon. | ||
| Is that good or bad? | ||
| It is the number, Senator. | ||
| Meaning it's not great. | ||
| Right. | ||
| So you want to make cars more efficient because you also care about the planet. | ||
| You would say, well, let's have cars be newer. | ||
| That means more affordable cars. | ||
| So here's my main question to you, Mr. McCormick. | ||
| Are you committed to making cars more affordable so that the fleet is younger and it's safer? | ||
| Absolutely, Senator. | ||
| Thank you for that question. | ||
| I think that you've highlighted this irony, right? | ||
| That as we add some of these features to vehicles, they bring the price higher and make them inaccessible to most people. | ||
| And frankly, it's not doing anybody a lot of good if they can't buy that vehicle. | ||
| The average price of a vehicle is $55,000 today. | ||
| The average age of a used vehicle is 13 years, as you said. | ||
| And all these technologies are even inaccessible to United States senators because when they go buy a car, they don't have, they choose not to get these extra features that can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. | ||
| And to a working class American, would you agree that the North Star should be like, if we can get a $25,000 car on the road, that that would actually help make that happen? | ||
| $25,000 new vehicle would be great, Senator. | ||
| How is that possible when you are forcing car companies to put an impairment detection device in a car that would cost thousands of dollars? | ||
| That, by the way, has a failure rate that is significantly high. | ||
| That doesn't mean that you encourage drunk driving. | ||
| It means that you have a thought process that says, I can't force a technology that's going to cost thousands of dollars on a car that's going to prevent people from being able to afford cars. | ||
| Because these technologies typically become available on very expensive automobiles because those customers has a lot more price elasticity. | ||
| Would you agree? | ||
| That does make sense to me, Senator. | ||
| Let's talk about EVs, AVs. | ||
| Last four years, we had a reign of terror on electric vehicles. | ||
| None of my Democrat colleagues have been able to answer the question for me as to why they voted to give millionaires who were leasing luxury electric vehicles $7,500 of government money. | ||
| So what process that? | ||
| Mr. McCormick, I ask you your policy. | ||
| Is that good public policy that a very wealthy person should be able to lease an electric Rolls-Royce and have the federal government give them $7,500? | ||
| It seems like people who have significant resources probably shouldn't receive a government budget. | ||
| Shouldn't? | ||
| I'd say no. | ||
| Let's say zero. | ||
| But yet we did that. | ||
| I just don't understand why. | ||
| I don't understand the rationale behind that. | ||
| Mr. Edwards, I'll shift to you. | ||
| How stressful is it to be an air traffic controller? | ||
| Senator, thanks for that question. | ||
| I don't have any personal experience doing that. | ||
| That is a highly critical safety function, and I've been around aviation a long time. | ||
| Yes, that is a stressful job. | ||
| So for those of us who have maybe attention issues, if you're sitting in a dark room in front of a computer and you've got to be totally laser focused, because if you don't, you make a mistake, you're going to have people die. | ||
| That's a stressful job in and of itself. | ||
| What does it feel like to an air traffic controller who hasn't gotten paid in over a month? | ||
| Senator, I would say that would be very difficult for anyone who hasn't been paid in your mind. | ||
| You lose focus for a second, because maybe your wife sent you a tax message saying, hey, we can't pay for our daughter's dance recital because we didn't get a paycheck. | ||
| Can you tell her? | ||
| What fills up in your brain? | ||
| Just not the job at hand. | ||
| So, Senator, it's very critical that an air traffic controller is able to remain focused. | ||
| So the pleading to my Democrat colleagues, can five of you find the humanity to reopen the government and allow these people to get paid? | ||
| Everybody around here back here is not getting paid either. | ||
| I don't know how you walk by your staffs knowing that you're responsible for any of them not getting a paycheck in a month. | ||
| We can argue about policy, but where's the humanity in that? | ||
| And last question, I know over time, I'll punt it to you, Mr. Morris. | ||
| Is there a worse design airport than Dulles? | ||
| Was it designed by some psychotic lunatic who hated people? | ||
|
unidentified
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Senator, I would have to agree with that. | |
| I think it's probably the worst design airport in the country. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Do either of you have the name of this psychotic lunatic? | ||
| Senator Cruz. | ||
| So I'm going to avoid the partisan baiting and instead compliment our chairman for how well he worked with the ranking member last year when we, in this committee, near unanimously passed the FAA Reauthorization Act and what it has done for this country. | ||
| My question is for Mr. McCormack. | ||
| In the first half of this year alone, airlines reported mishandling over 4,600 wheelchairs and scooters. | ||
| And I've said it time and again, even before I passed legislation requiring such reporting in 2018, that damaging or breaking someone's wheelchair is like breaking their legs. | ||
| When you break my wheelchair on a flight and you give me a substitute airline wheelchair, you've taken away my legs. | ||
| I can't push that airline wheelchair by myself. | ||
| Someone has to push me into the bathroom. | ||
| If they don't put me in the right place, I can't get to the toilet. | ||
| I can't do anything. | ||
| So imagine if we broke over 1% of airline passengers' legs on an annual basis. | ||
| It would rightfully be a national scandal. | ||
| And yet it is not when it comes to medical devices. | ||
| It would dominate headlines across the country because such negligence would be outrageous and inexcusable. | ||
| And yet, for wheelchair users, such a nightmare scenario is not some outlandish hypothetical. | ||
| It is our reality. | ||
| It's a credible fear we confront every damn time we fly. | ||
| Airlines have had decades to get their act together and they failed to change. | ||
| That's why those of us in the disability community celebrated the promulgation last year of the groundbreaking and long overdue wheelchair rule. | ||
| This rule implements critical provisions under the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act that our chairman was part of the team that led that effort in 2024 to help ensure passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity. | ||
| This rulemaking represented the United States government finally taking meaningful action to tell the airlines enough is enough. | ||
| And that's why I am really angry that President Trump and Secretary Duffy allowed the airlines to bully them into submission and retreat on enforcing the wheelchair rule. | ||
| Look, I get why no air carrier wants to be held accountable for mishandling wheelchairs or forced to invest in regular training for their employees or customers who are empowered to book or rebook flights on aircraft that can accommodate their wheelchairs. | ||
| I understand why airlines would not want any of that to happen. | ||
| And airlines are doing what they've done for decades. | ||
| What's inexcusable is the Trump administration's weakness and Secretary Duffy's apparently willingness to let corporate lobbyists rewrite the wheelchair rule to their liking. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, you have been serving as Deputy Chief of Staff with oversight over the Department's policy, a responsibility that you will continue to have if confirmed as Under Secretary. | ||
| Yes or no? | ||
| Did you meet with passengers who use wheelchairs and other assistive devices to hear firsthand the horrors they've had to deal with when airlines effectively broke their legs and then dragged their feet on paying for timely repairs of those devices? | ||
| Thank you for the question, Senator. | ||
| I've not met with any of the disability rights advocates, but they have had meetings within the department. | ||
| No one's ever reached out to me for a meeting along those lines. | ||
| Nobody has reached out to you. | ||
| Okay, that's a fact. | ||
| Let me ask you this. | ||
| Did you speak with any airline lobbyists prior to Secretary Duffy's decision to wave the white flag when it came to defending and enforcing the 2024 wheelchair rule? | ||
| Senator. | ||
| Have you met with any airline lobbyists? | ||
| I've never met with any airlines on any aviation consumer protection issues. | ||
| So you've not met with any airline lobbyists on this rule? | ||
| That is correct. | ||
| Very interesting. | ||
| So the Trump administrator claims to operate from a position of strength, and yet Secretary Duffy is letting the airlines bully him into submission when it comes to defending the civil rights and dignity of passengers with wheelchairs. | ||
| Passengers with disabilities can't afford for the Trump administration to screw them over by wasting precious time in refusing to defend and enforce the 2024 rule and even worse, rewriting it. | ||
| So if you're not met with any of the airline lobbyists and you've not met with any people with disabilities, why did you choose to suspend this rule? | ||
| Again, Senator, and thank you for the ability to clarify that. | ||
| I mean, I've not, again, I've not worked on any of the aviation consumer protection issues. | ||
| I'm not in charge of all policy to the department. | ||
| If confirmed, that would be a significant part of my role. | ||
| It is not in my role as deputy chief of staff. | ||
| And so, again, it did come up in the minority staff interview that this is a significant concern of the committee staff as well as members of the committee, but it has not been part of my job to date. | ||
| So, you had nothing to do with it, but you will have something to do with it in the future. | ||
| Should you be confirmed? | ||
| Is that your position? | ||
| Should I be confirmed? | ||
| I would have more ability in the rulemaking space. | ||
| I have not had any first-hand implications on this. | ||
| Should you be confirmed? | ||
| Will you meet with me? | ||
| Will you meet with disability advocates? | ||
| And will you meet with everyday ordinary Americans who use assistive devices when they're traveling? | ||
| Senator, I would love to work with you and your staff on the specific issue. | ||
| As I mentioned, I know the people in the department have been meeting with disability rights advocates as they've reached out for. | ||
| Okay, you're not answering my question. | ||
| Will you meet with me? | ||
| And I will bring disability advocates and I will bring people in wheelchairs to come talk to you. | ||
| You meet with us to talk about this. | ||
| Happy to all right. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Blackbird. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, I want to come to you. | ||
| You know, we're working on a surface transportation reauthorization here, and this is something that we in Tennessee really look at as important to economic security, national security, and getting some much needed certainty on infrastructure projects. | ||
| We're a growing state. | ||
| And the traffic around Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga shows you how much we are growing. | ||
| And so I'm looking at things like the formula grants that should be going to high-growth areas like Tennessee. | ||
| We're also looking at some cargo theft issues that are out there, and of course, innovation, which is a priority for us. | ||
| And with AI, that innovation is going to be important. | ||
| We're a logistics state. | ||
| So I'd love to hear what your priorities are. | ||
| Thank you for that question, Senator. | ||
| Absolutely. | ||
| It's a priority of Secretary Duffy's and the Department to make sure that we are building infrastructure in growing areas. | ||
| This is infrastructure that we want to stand the test of time, you know, exists for 100 years, you know, effectively. | ||
| We want to make sure that we're going to put federal resources. | ||
| We're going to do it in states like Tennessee that are growing, that they have needs that we can meet with federal resources. | ||
| So absolutely, we want to build there. | ||
| That sounds great. | ||
| One thing, I know that DOT has an advisory committee on human trafficking. | ||
| And they did a 2024 report and emphasized how the victims of commercial sex trafficking and forced labor are exploited across all modes of transportation. | ||
| This is how they're being moved across our country. | ||
| It's hundreds of billions of dollars in illicit profits that are made every single year, trafficking human beings. | ||
| Many of these are women and children, and it's heartbreaking. | ||
| And so I have the Traffic Act, and the Traffic Act would ensure that individuals that are convicted of these human trafficking crimes are prohibited permanently from getting any type of professional transportation license by DOT and DHS. | ||
| And I would like to hear from you how you are going to work with us as we look to combat this human trafficking that is using our roads, our rails, our rivers, our runways to transport these individuals. | ||
| Yeah, thank you, Senator, and thank you for your work on that important issue. | ||
| Would of course love to work with you and your staff on that, any technical assistance that we can provide. | ||
| I would just also say the Department does have programs related to human trafficking. | ||
| We have an office that is geared to combat that illicit activity, whether it's raising awareness on certain transportation systems or providing some money in order to, again, raise awareness. | ||
| It's part of an interdepartmental effort to, again, eradicate the scourge of human trafficking. | ||
| Yeah. | ||
| Mr. Morse, let me come to you. | ||
| Sounds like you took a little heat earlier in the hearing, but You know, I think sometimes TDS comes out in full display by some of our friends, but I'd like for you to talk a little bit about some of the real issues that are affecting the aviation sector and also the metro airports and that authority. | ||
| And I do think that the airports around the nation's capital have some unique issues. | ||
| I think there was concern yesterday with the bomb threat at DCA, and we are looking at America 250. | ||
| One of the reasons we need to get this government back open and get people paid and back to work. | ||
| So there will be a bucket of issues that are going to be facing our airports as we move toward the 250 celebration. | ||
| And so touch on those specifically for the DCA and Dulles area. | ||
| And I'm certain some of those are repeated across the country. | ||
|
unidentified
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Thank you, Senator, for your question. | |
| I would like to comment first on your first comment, which is that I was very proud to be a part of the Trump administration and help hire over 3,200 people across the government. | ||
| I think we broke every record at day 100, day 200, and the amount of people that have been confirmed by this body. | ||
| So I'm very appreciative for all the senators that, you know, their hard work to support the President's agenda. | ||
| As far as the 250 celebration, I think I would also add to that, the World Cup and the Olympics. | ||
| Even though it isn't directly within the D.C. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority for the World Cup and the Olympics, there could still be a lot of connecting traffic that comes through those facilities. | ||
| And I just want to assure you that I will work diligently with the rest of the board to make sure that, number one, safety is paramount, but also that we have the facilities to be able to handle the amount of traffic. | ||
| And I think we have seen some improvements at DCA. | ||
| And just like I mentioned before, I'm dedicated to working on improvements at Dulles to handle an influx of inbound and outbound travelers. | ||
| Well, and Senator Moreno is trying to get the Grand Prix here in Washington, D.C., so that would add another event to your list. | ||
|
unidentified
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I'm not aware of that, but I fully support that. | |
| I think that's a great idea. | ||
| He's all over it. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Rosen. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| And I'd like to ask unanimous consent for something to be submitted to the record, because I'd like to ask for Senator Moreno to submit to the committee how he obtained our personal VIN numbers, what he plans to do with them, and appears to be a clear overreach and violation of our privacy and not accurate as to what he said, especially about I can talk about my own vehicles. | ||
| And so I'm asking for unanimous consent to find out what he is trying to find out about my automobile ownership. | ||
| VIN numbers are displayed on the windshield of the car. | ||
| So you I'm not going to get back and forth and use my time. | ||
| So you where you went into my garage in Las Vegas to find the VIN number. | ||
| Do you have a car that you drive here or do you walk? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I'll talk to you after, but I do not have a car that I drive here, sir. | ||
| Do you drive in a car here? | ||
| That is my staff's car. | ||
| So you are not concerned about your staff safety? | ||
| I am not going to get back and forth with you. | ||
| I am just telling you that I am asking unanimous consent for you to submit to this committee what VIN numbers you have, whose privacy you violated, and what you plan to do with it. | ||
| That's all. | ||
| I'd like to move on to international tourism now. | ||
| Mr. McCormick, international visitors play a vital role in Nevada's economy, particularly in Las Vegas, where global tourism directly supports tens of thousands of jobs across hospitality, entertainment, and related industries. | ||
| However, recent challenges include visa processing delays, custom staffing shortages, and limited promotion of the United States as a travel destination, hindered growth in this sector. | ||
| If confirmed, what specific steps will you take to strengthen international tourism to U.S. destinations like Nevada? | ||
| Ensure that the Department's policies actively support States that rely heavily on tourism. | ||
| And how will you measure the economic impact of such efforts? | ||
| Thank you for the question, Senator. | ||
| Again, we are engaged in the Department related to the international events that have come up earlier, the World Cup, FIFA. | ||
| Do you have specific thoughts how you might streamline the visa and customs process so that we can put on all these international events? | ||
| I'm focused on the authorities within the Department of Transportation. | ||
| Visa authorities are not in the Department of Transportation. | ||
| Let me move on to Mr. Edwards then. | ||
| I understand that in addition to your nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, you are currently serving as the Associate Administrator for the FAA's Office of Airports. | ||
| That experience gives you a unique perspective on the infrastructure needs facing our nation's airports. | ||
| So I want to emphasize how important timely infrastructure investment is for states like Nevada. | ||
| Projects such as the Moore RNO modernization at Reno Tahoe International are essential to expanding our capacity, improving passenger experience, and supporting our State's growing tourism and business travel economy. | ||
| However, airports can only move forward if Federal funds, particularly airport improvement program dollars, well, that they are delivered on time because there are contracts and there are commitments, right? | ||
| We have delays in those fundings and going slow out the door can slow construction. | ||
| It raises costs. | ||
| It holds back our economic growth. | ||
| So, Mr. Edwards, given your dual experience at the FAA and within the Department, will you commit to ensuring that critical airport infrastructure funds that impact all of us and particularly huge amounts onto our economy every single day, that they are distributed on time? | ||
| And the Department of Transportation continues to support airports like Reno Tahoe in advancing major modernization projects without unnecessary delays. | ||
| Thank you, Senator Rosen, for that question and pointing out the importance of those AIP funds. | ||
| Absolutely, you have my commitment. | ||
| That is part of the mandate of the airport's office, which I joined about three weeks ago. | ||
| And I can't take credit for it, but those that were working the last rounds of grants did an amazing job at getting a huge number of them out in a very short period of time. | ||
| If I am remembering the data I have seen recently, a lot of those grant dollars were not appropriated until May. | ||
| So it was a huge push to get them out and get them out quickly. | ||
| So short answer, now, yes, you have my commitment. | ||
| I am happy to work with the US. | ||
| Airports are critical to our economy, so modernizing, moving all of this forward really makes a huge difference to our economic growth. | ||
| I am going to stick with you for a minute and talk about multimodal transportation, because as the entertainment tourism capital of the world, Las Vegas economy depends on reliable connectivity, not just for air travel, but also via ground transport that moves visitors efficiently from airports to hotels, convention centers and entertainment venues. | ||
| So, Mr. Edwards, as you know, congestion, limited transit options and infrastructure bottlenecks can directly impact the visitor experience and ultimately our State's growth, every State's growth. | ||
| If confirmed, how would your office ensure that Federal transportation and aviation policies support coordinated multimodal infrastructure planning that enhances connectivity for travelers, it strengthens the tourism economy, and maximizes the return on Federal investments for States like Nevada? | ||
| Senator Rosa, thank you for bringing that topic up. | ||
| Admittedly, today I will not purport to be a subject matter expert on multimodal transportation given my aviation focus. | ||
| However, I recognize the point that you are making is very significant, especially with the upcoming USA 250, the World Cup, LA 28, and then sprinkle in there the ad you know the upcoming advanced air mobility modes that are going to be added to our infrastructure. | ||
| So I think thinking holistically about that is exactly what needs to be done. | ||
| Obviously with safety in mind, we have to figure out how to insert all these new opportunities to move people with EV tolls and electric aircraft and move them in and out of airports and connect them to multimodal transportation hubs. | ||
| Moving people, we get them to the airport, but we want them to come back. | ||
| But in between, they need to go somewhere to work or go on vacation, do whatever business they have. | ||
| It's important that all of that is coordinated. | ||
| So I thank you. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you, Senator. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Moreno has asked for a moment. | ||
| I just need a real quick question for Mr. Edwards. | ||
| But before I do, as somebody who's been here 10 months, I think what we just saw was exactly classic Washington, D.C. In other words, the car that I drive should be safe. | ||
| The car that my staff drives, who cares about them? | ||
| I get a paycheck. | ||
| I object to you stalking my car and my staff to find the VIN numbers to present to this committee what are you doing there? | ||
| What are you going to do with them? | ||
| It's an invasion of our privacy. | ||
| If you came and asked me for my VIN, I will tell you what I have in my car. | ||
| It's visible from the outside of the country. | ||
| So you went and followed me. | ||
| You went and followed me to see who drives me to write down their VIN number. | ||
| You interrupted me. | ||
| You are attacking me. | ||
| You watched me go to see who drives me, writing down their VIN number so you could find out what they have. | ||
| That seems a little creepy. | ||
| Expose the hypocrisy, much like, for example, that you get paid. | ||
| You don't have to pay for it. | ||
| You get a paycheck, but you walk by. | ||
| I'm donating my paycheck, sir, and I would happily be on legislation. | ||
| What do you want to give? | ||
| What do you say to the staff? | ||
| What do you say to the TSA workers? | ||
| What do you say to the air traffic controllers? | ||
| What I am saying to you is a Republican shutdown, my friend. | ||
| You are in control of the White House. | ||
| You are in control of the House, and you are in control of the Senate. | ||
| And if you went home to a food bank instead of going to Mar-a-Lago, had a gold-plated dinner while people are starving. | ||
| You might see and hear your constituents, sir. | ||
| You are blind to the suffering of your people. | ||
| Does it take 60 votes? | ||
| It takes you listening and coming to the table to take a look at the pressure. | ||
| It does take 60 votes. | ||
| You want to have this? | ||
| Come talk to me in private, sir. | ||
| So it does take 60 votes for the record, just so that we're clear on the reporting, so that there's no misinformation. | ||
| It does take 60 views. | ||
| Back to you, Mr. Edwards. | ||
| Question about airports. | ||
| In Cleveland, we have an airport called Burke Lakefront Airport. | ||
| Some people in the community say that the airport is not necessary, and they might have a plan. | ||
| The city and the county might have a Plan in which they would request that you take a look at closing that airport for redevelopment. | ||
| I am not asking you to opine on that. | ||
| My question to you is: would you be willing to work with me and the local officials, assuming they have a good, strong plan to get that airport repurposed? | ||
| Are you willing to have that conversation, come to Ohio, meet with the stakeholders? | ||
| Senator, yes, I am. | ||
| When the time is appropriate and the appropriate plans are made, I am happy to support the effort. | ||
| And last question, and I promise, Mr. Chairman, I am done. | ||
| Mr. Morris, would it surprise you that when some of these nominees walk into our Democrat colleague's office, they say, we like you, you are hyper-qualified, you do a good job, you strike me as a good person, but I can't vote for you because we have decided we are going to fight President Trump. | ||
|
unidentified
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That is if they grant a meeting, which is already hard enough to get. | |
| So don't even meet and just automatically reflective no, yet they go through this charade. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I hope that we get to a point where the hypocrisy leaves D.C., but I think a pink unicorn may fly through the room before that happens. | ||
| Well, if Senator Moreno would be open perhaps to a couple of questions, just to clarify the record, because we had a bit of Washington play acting just a moment ago. | ||
| Senator Moreno, is it accurate that you and virtually every other Republican have voted 14 times to reopen the government? | ||
| We voted 14 times to end debate so that we could actually vote to open the government, yes. | ||
| And is it accurate that Senator Rosen and virtually every other Democrat has voted 14 times to keep the government closed? | ||
| Yes. | ||
| Her colleague from Nevada has bravely fought Chuck Schumer and has voted to open the government. | ||
| So has John Fetterman and Angus King from Maine. | ||
| So I applaud three Democrats for actually having the decency, the humanity to be able to pay government workers, pay our military, provide Head Start, provide SNAP benefits. | ||
| And is it accurate that Democrat Senator John Fetterman has repeatedly said this is a Democrat shutdown caused by Chuck Schumer and the Democrats? | ||
| Yeah. | ||
| And I find it ironic that my Democrat colleagues will go to lobbyist dinners tonight in which they get fed steak, while people in their own constituents in their own states will not know where to get money to buy their groceries or, in a case, a SNAP recipients, not be able to buy basic goods. | ||
| Is it also accurate that during the Biden presidency, 13 times Republicans worked with Democrats to pass a clean, continuing resolution? | ||
| You would know better, Chairman, but I don't think there has ever been a time in U.S. history where a clean, continuing resolution has been voted down by either party. | ||
| And is it accurate as well that CNN has fact-checked multiple Democrats who have insisted this is not a clean CR, and CNN, sometimes called the Clinton News Network, sometimes called the Communist News Network, has fact-checked the Democrats and said, no, this is in fact a clean CR that your party is voting against? | ||
| Yes, although I do wonder whether they have actually read the legislation, because that evidently is something that is optional. | ||
| But I would assume if they have read it or took the time to read it, they would realize it is their budget that they passed. | ||
| And they are blocking this through a procedural technicality that prohibits us from actually taking a vote to reopen the government. | ||
| The record will reflect that every one of the questions we just engaged in is objectively true, and it says something that not a single Democrat is here to contest it, that their approach to this is instead to scream and yell while consistently voting to keep the government shut down and to deny pay to thousands of Federal workers, including within this committee's jurisdiction, some 50,000 TSA agents who are going to work right now. | ||
| They missed their last paycheck. | ||
| They are not being paid, including some 14,000 air traffic controllers who are going to work right now. | ||
| They are not being paid. | ||
| And the consequence, we are seeing delays at airports all across the country. | ||
| We are seeing thousands of delays. | ||
| We are seeing thousands of flight cancellations. | ||
| We are seeing ground stops in major airports. | ||
| And I would note, one senior Democrat aide told Politico this shutdown will continue until planes start falling from the sky. | ||
| For a committee with jurisdiction over aviation safety, that is a horrifying statement. | ||
| And yet, for our Democrat colleagues, apparently they agree with those sentiments. | ||
| I have 28 letters of support from various organizations for the nominations of Mr. McCormick, Mr. Edwards, and Mr. Morse. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent that these letters be inserted into the hearing record without objection, so ordered. | ||
| Senators will have until the close of business on November 7th to submit questions for the record. | ||
| The nominees will have until the close of business on November 10th to respond to those questions. | ||
| This concludes today's hearing. | ||
| The committee stands adjourned. | ||
|
unidentified
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Why are you doing this? | |
| This is outrageous. | ||
| This is a kangaroo quarrel. | ||
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| Ceasefire, where the shouting stops and the conversation begins. | ||
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