Virginia Senators Kaine, Warner express concerns over FAA terminations

Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined their colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy.

The letter raises concerns about the various aviation incidents over the past month, highlighting the importance of trained, impartial professionals in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“We need experienced, qualified, and impartial professionals to investigate these unfortunate incidents, develop plans to prevent these types of accidents from occurring in the future, and implement those plans with the safety of the public as the sole and guiding objective,” the senators wrote.

Along with other concerns, the letter asks for detailed answers from Duffy about the role of SpaceX, the impact of personnel terminations and the evaluation process for external contractors.

“We write to express our deep concerns with the recent firings of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel and the involvement of a cadre, unaccountable to the American people, in critical aviation safety decision making,” the senators wrote. “The past week has seen mass firings of Federal workers, done without regard to personal performance, the impact on mission effectiveness, and the effect on the country’s ability to deliver services at home or compete abroad. We urge [Duffy] to stand up for the safety of our national air space and reverse these devastating cuts in key safety roles.”

While in the letter, lawmakers brought up Musk’s involvement in the FAA, stating that Musk’s company SpaceX has been fined multiple times by the FAA for safety violations.

The letter concludes with several questions for Duffy to answer in order to provide the public with a “full rationale and transparency.” Duffy was asked to respond no later than March 24, 2025.

The full letter can be read here.