Sen. Ted Cruz calls Biden FAA nominee unqualified, says White House 'playing politics' with safety
During FAA nomination hearing, Cruz says White House treating administrator position as 'patronage job'
Sen. Ted Cruz calls Biden FAA nominee unqualified for job
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday said that President Biden's nominee to be the next Federal Aviation Administration administrator, Phil Washington, is not qualified for the position.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday said that President Biden's nominee to serve as the next leader of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not qualified for the position.
During a Senate Commerce committee confirmation hearing, Cruz cited a need for the next FAA administrator to have "decades of experience in aviation" and said that the nominee before the committee, Phil Washington, lacks the necessary experience.
"The nominee before us, Phil Washington, had a long and honorable career in the military. But he does not have any experience in aviation safety," Cruz said. "This, quite simply, is a position he is not qualified for."
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Phil Washington, President Biden's nominee to become the next FAA administrator, poses for a portrait at the airport in Denver on June 29, 2021. (Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Washington is currently the CEO of Denver International Airport (DIA). He was first nominated by Biden last year, but he failed to advance amid concerns from Republicans about his experience. His confirmation has been further stalled by allegations of discriminatory and retaliatory practices by Washington at DIA and his involvement with a corruption investigation at LA Metro.
Washington was CEO at LA Metro, which is being investigated after it awarded a pricey contract for a sexual harassment hotline — the hotline was found to cost over $8,000 per call it received — that was awarded to a charity run by a close friend of an LA Metro board member. Washington has denied wrongdoing, but Cruz has called on the Senate to proceed slowly with his nomination in light of these allegations and other whistleblower claims of misconduct.
During his opening remarks Wednesday, Cruz slammed Biden's choice of Washington to lead the FAA, accusing the White House of treating the position "as a patronage job" and "playing politics with the flying public's safety."
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The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee holds a hearing to consider Phil Washington as the FAA administrator.
He asserted that Washington's previous management of city transit agencies is characterized by "mismanagement and wasteful spending." He referenced news reports about Washington's attempt to install a $200,000 sauna in the LA Metro's employee gym, as well as his reported "lavish spending" as city buses "broke down and caught fire due to lack of money."
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Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 15, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"The New York Times reported that a Denver rail project overseen by Mr. Washington ran up a $2 billion plus deficit and has become over 30 years behind schedule. Just last month, Mr. Washington, another Denver official spent more than $100,000 on a junket to Africa to drum up support to Denver's airport," Cruz said. "Government waste and delayed over budget projects are things we want to change at the FAA, not continue."
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Cruz also heavily criticized Washington's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at LA Metro and DIA.
"Safety, not political posturing, needs to be paramount at the FAA," Cruz said.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.