CNN
—
A Senate committee has abruptly delayed its vote scheduled for Wednesday to consider President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, further holding up the long-awaited nomination.
It’s not yet clear why the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s vote to consider Phil Washington’s nomination on Wednesday has been delayed. His pick was first announced by Biden eight months ago and has since faced continued resistance from Republican members of Congress over a number of issues, including his slim aviation-related credentials and his potential legal entanglements.
Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, the chairwoman of the committee, announced that the vote is “moving to a future date pending information that members have been seeking.” She also underscored that the committee “will have this debate in the future,” contending that Washington is qualified for the job.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the leading Republican on the Senate Commerce committee, said during the panel’s executive session Wednesday, “I am glad to hear that the committee is considering delaying consideration of the nomination of Phil Washington. Phil Washington has been before this committee for some time now. And I think every member of this committee knows that Mr. Washington is not qualified for the position for which he is nominated.”
The White House is continuing to stand behind Washington following the vote delay.
“The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and the president’s nominee, Phil Washington, has the right qualifications and experience for this role,” a White House official said in a statement to CNN. “He has led the Denver International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, managed large transportation safety organizations, and served as a command sergeant major in the military. This is a role with a key safety mandate and Mr. Washington’s nomination has been pending for months. We continue to urge the Senate to move swiftly on his confirmation.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s scrapped vote, a steady stream of groups lined up for and against Washington.
Aviation worker unions, former transportation secretaries on both sides of the aisle, Denver-based Frontier Airlines and the family members of crash victims who died on Ethiopian Air Flight 302 all endorsed Washington.
Former Department of Transportation officials who served at the agency during the Trump administration signed onto a letter to the president expressing their opposition to Washington’s confirmation.
Cruz and Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, have both expressed their opposition to Washington’s nomination.
The FAA has been operating without a permanent administrator for a year.
In that time, the agency has contended with several problems that have plagued travelers and the airline industry, such as recent near-collisions involving airliners, crucial staffing shortages and malfunctions of aging technology that have cause major air travel disruption.
While Democrats largely seemed supportive during Washington’s confirmation hearing earlier this month, he was grilled by Republican senators on issues that have emerged since he was named as a prospective administrator last summer.
Washington, the current CEO of the Denver International Airport, has held leadership roles at municipal transit organizations, including in Denver and Los Angeles, focused on bus and rail lines. He also led the Biden-Harris transition team for the Department of Transportation. Prior to his work in transportation, Washington served in the military for 24 years.
While Washington has worked in transportation-related positions since 2000, he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to joining the Denver airport in 2021 – a major concern among committee members.
Since being nominated, Washington has also faced questions about being named in a search warrant issued as part of a political corruption investigation in Los Angeles, along with other potential legal entanglements. Republicans have also questioned whether Washington, an Army veteran who left the military in 2000 after more than 20 years of service, would be statutorily considered a civilian – a requirement in order to serve as the FAA chief.
If he’s not considered a civilian, he would need a waiver from Congress permitting him to lead the agency. And Republicans in both the House and the Senate do not support granting Washington a waiver.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
