House set to vote on aviation safety bill amid Pentagon pushback
Same show, different day.
The House is expected to take up bipartisan aviation safety legislation responding to the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, even as the Pentagon raises late objections and victims’ families push lawmakers to act.
The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act would require civilian and military aircraft operating in congested airspace to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology, which allows pilots to broadcast and track aircraft positions in real time. The National Transportation Safety Board has said the technology could have prevented the crash between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
The bill would also narrow the definition of a “sensitive government mission,” a designation that currently allows military helicopters to operate without broadcasting their position in certain circumstances.
Hours ahead of an expected House vote, the War Department warned the Senate-passed legislation could create operational and budgetary risks.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department supported the intent of the legislation but argued the Senate version failed to include several updates discussed with lawmakers.
“As currently drafted, enactment would create significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities,” Parnell said, adding that the Pentagon remained ready to work with Congress to ensure safety goals were met while protecting military operations.
The War Department’s relatively brief statement did not detail specific points of disagreement with the ROTOR Act.
Supporters of the bill said the legislation already includes language requested by the Pentagon and safeguards for classified flights.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), one of the House sponsors, said lawmakers were surprised by the last-minute opposition after months of collaboration.
“We’re very disappointed,” Beyer said during a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday. “There was no reason for the helicopter that night not to have ADS-B out and on. They were just practicing.”
Beyer dismissed arguments that broadcasting aircraft locations during training flights posed a meaningful security risk, saying exemptions already exist for truly sensitive missions.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) echoed that point, saying the bill includes language negotiated with the …
Same show, different day.
The House is expected to take up bipartisan aviation safety legislation responding to the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, even as the Pentagon raises late objections and victims’ families push lawmakers to act.
The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act would require civilian and military aircraft operating in congested airspace to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology, which allows pilots to broadcast and track aircraft positions in real time. The National Transportation Safety Board has said the technology could have prevented the crash between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
The bill would also narrow the definition of a “sensitive government mission,” a designation that currently allows military helicopters to operate without broadcasting their position in certain circumstances.
Hours ahead of an expected House vote, the War Department warned the Senate-passed legislation could create operational and budgetary risks.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department supported the intent of the legislation but argued the Senate version failed to include several updates discussed with lawmakers.
“As currently drafted, enactment would create significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities,” Parnell said, adding that the Pentagon remained ready to work with Congress to ensure safety goals were met while protecting military operations.
The War Department’s relatively brief statement did not detail specific points of disagreement with the ROTOR Act.
Supporters of the bill said the legislation already includes language requested by the Pentagon and safeguards for classified flights.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), one of the House sponsors, said lawmakers were surprised by the last-minute opposition after months of collaboration.
“We’re very disappointed,” Beyer said during a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday. “There was no reason for the helicopter that night not to have ADS-B out and on. They were just practicing.”
Beyer dismissed arguments that broadcasting aircraft locations during training flights posed a meaningful security risk, saying exemptions already exist for truly sensitive missions.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) echoed that point, saying the bill includes language negotiated with the …
House set to vote on aviation safety bill amid Pentagon pushback
Same show, different day.
The House is expected to take up bipartisan aviation safety legislation responding to the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, even as the Pentagon raises late objections and victims’ families push lawmakers to act.
The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act would require civilian and military aircraft operating in congested airspace to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology, which allows pilots to broadcast and track aircraft positions in real time. The National Transportation Safety Board has said the technology could have prevented the crash between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
The bill would also narrow the definition of a “sensitive government mission,” a designation that currently allows military helicopters to operate without broadcasting their position in certain circumstances.
Hours ahead of an expected House vote, the War Department warned the Senate-passed legislation could create operational and budgetary risks.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department supported the intent of the legislation but argued the Senate version failed to include several updates discussed with lawmakers.
“As currently drafted, enactment would create significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities,” Parnell said, adding that the Pentagon remained ready to work with Congress to ensure safety goals were met while protecting military operations.
The War Department’s relatively brief statement did not detail specific points of disagreement with the ROTOR Act.
Supporters of the bill said the legislation already includes language requested by the Pentagon and safeguards for classified flights.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), one of the House sponsors, said lawmakers were surprised by the last-minute opposition after months of collaboration.
“We’re very disappointed,” Beyer said during a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday. “There was no reason for the helicopter that night not to have ADS-B out and on. They were just practicing.”
Beyer dismissed arguments that broadcasting aircraft locations during training flights posed a meaningful security risk, saying exemptions already exist for truly sensitive missions.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) echoed that point, saying the bill includes language negotiated with the …
0 Comments
0 Shares
34 Views
0 Reviews
