Congressman Cohen Says FAA Reauthorization Act Mandates Immediate Implementation

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, today questioned expert witnesses at a hearing on the implementation of last year's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act.

In his opening statement, Congressman Cohen referred to the fatal crash over the Potomac River in January and a series of near misses as reminders of the need to modernize the aviation sector.

"Congress gave the FAA clear directives through the 2024 Reauthorization to modernize critical infrastructure, expedite deployment of new technologies, and hire and train the next generation of air traffic controllers. That was not a suggestion; it was a mandate," he said.

Congressman Cohen noted that early Trump administration actions have "moved swiftly in the opposite direction" with layoffs of critical elements of the aviation workforce.

See the entire opening statement here.

In his questions to witnesses, he asked about aircraft evacuation standards set in his Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act which requires the FAA to test a representative sample of passengers to determine whether airplanes can be evacuated within the 90 seconds mandated by law. He also asked about cooperation between pilots and co-pilots.

See his questions to the witnesses here.

Witnesses at today's hearing were:

• Mr. Darren Pleasance, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
• Mr. Edward M. Bolen, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Business Aviation Association
• Mr. Michael Robbins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International
• Captain Jody Reven, President, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
• Ms. Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

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