[background noises] a subcommittee on a visual consort is unescos at the chairman authorized to declare recess without objections ordered also ask you nose consent subcommittee and ask questions that objection prints ordered. I was reminded members wishing to insert documents in the record please also email the documents i dont recognize myself for the purpose of an Opening Statement for five minutes. Thank you for being here administrator whitaker. I want to first off congratulate you for your unanimous confirmation vote. As you know achieving Something Like that in todays times is quite remarkable. Really appreciate your expertise head look forward to working with you. I hope you understand the strong support from congress but also enormous recognition of the responsibility of the job youve now taken on. We have heard a lot of descriptions about americas Aviation Industry. Everything about its the Gold Standard, its a leading edge of technology we have also seen in recent months we have had incredible challenges in the Aviation Industry. I cannot say enough the Aviation Industry needs to be successful. It used to be successful in terms of promoting technology, regulatory stability, safety and importantly often folks lose sight of is the Passenger Experience. Every american enjoys enormous benefits of a collaborative work commercial aviation has never been safer or more prosperous Aerospace Industry moves hundreds of moans of people every year creates millions of jobs, trillions of dollars in Economic Activity and a critical pillar of National Defense maintain your Gold Standard aviation standard in the United States should be an Urgent National priority. But the only guaranteed Gold Standard but got us there yesterday is not going to be what keeps us there tomorrow. In the past year and as i noted we have seen several aircraft manufacturing defects aircraft while fires, whole Passenger Air frame destroyed by fire near misses at our airports, Pilot Mental Health issues, general aviation accidents poor Airline Customer service especially for disabled passengers and other challenges. The subcommittees received testimony about struggles the agency has integrating drones and air mobilitys commercial space transportation and cybersecurity into our National Airspace updating the technology that is needed to ensure the efficiency and performance of her air Traffic Control systems. For each and every one of those instances you can find a provision in the house passed faa bill to address those issues. Im going to say that again. For every one of those issues you can find provisions of the house passed faa bill to address these issues. I want to remind you we passed that bill months and months ago well before the september 30 expiration. That did not happen by mistake we worked methodically want to thank german Ranking Member larsen Ranking Member leaders sam graves chairman sam graves and all the Aviation Team for plowing through literally thousands and thousands of stakeholder, public, member of Congress Requests that ultimately yielded a strong bipartisan bill. Despite the differences the house was successful in passing that bill of a vote of the 351 to 69 similar to your confirmation vote in these times that is absolute ordinary. Since the passage of the bill has received support from the aviation sector general Aviation Business aviation, manufacturers manufacturers, innovators, labor members of the faa own workforce commercial aviation, groups representing passengers, airports and on and on. The house produce legislation makes it transformative changes in the Passenger Experience and a private aviation. It provides innovators of the Unmanned Aerial Systems in advance air mobility space the regulatory certainty they need to deploy some of the most advanced technologies we have seen in aviation. We also make meeting for reforms and processes Position Agency to manage everexpanding Aviation System the bill contains numerous provisions aimed at improving aviation safety. With all the recent incidents, accidents, near misses and problems theres nothing short of malpractice this cent is not bothered to even mark up the faa reauthorization bill. The senates repeated failure has destroyed 650 Million Dollars in airport investments this year alone. An delayed enactment urgently needed Safety Measures and reforms. Theres never been a worse time to leave the fa unauthorized at that is where the senate in action has left us. You are doing the best that you can with a job that you have mrs clear to me the senates inability to do its job has realworld consequences directly affect American Leadership in aviation and in the safety of the traveling public we said ready, willing, able to negotiate the reauthorization bill, when the senate is ready hopefully you can do something to help us with that mr. Administrator hopefully the conversation we had to beat source underscore the urgency of getting a longterm comprehensive reauthorization bill signed into law. And i yelled. I not recognize Ranking Member cohen for five minutes for an Opening Statement. Think it mr. Gerry just went to said disgrace every thing he said. We need to fund ukraine in israel the same time quick sound like her to listen to it. [laughter] thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you it mr. Whitaker for coming before us today such an important time with aviation and we appreciate that. It is important we have leadership thats a thing i heard most from people in the industry and my six, seven, eight months as we need and administer a think everybodys pleased with your selection. We have had the recent problems is not your fault with boeing bg 737 max nine with a Japanese Airline collision, increase runway incursions have been around for a while. And i know that is on top of your mind is getting something straightened out with the potential intersections of airlines on the faa and Getting Better air Traffic Controllers or more air Traffic Controllers and we need to get a pipeline going to get more. The faa prompt response of the january 5 boeing incident is commendable in the grounding of the one or 70 aircraft in which youve done there i think everyone agrees with and appreciates. Boeing must be held accountable because as you have said and others have said safety is first that needs to be made clear. As this incident and that max eight crash complacency is a luxury we cannot afford right now its aviation safety boeing and the faa oversight lets make necessary changes so accidents dont happen again endorsed flying off in the middle of the air and planes falling out of the sky or whatever. The faa and ntsb investigations into this as subcommittee will send ready to work with you and all parties from the legislative changes necessary but of course the first thing we need to do is get reauthorization bill passed trade we have done our job now its your job to get the senate to do their job. I want to thank all the fa employees who work day and night to ensure no stone was left unturned when it came to reviewing max and nine inspection instruction as well as the Airline Maintenance technicians for implementing these instructions to ensure that aircraft can safely transport passengers again. Ntsb chair did a great job she is having some of us over for a briefing later today and showing us some of the problems we appreciate that. She has been thorough. Based on whats been communicated to us in the public thus far that work has been outstanding. We must ever can we can to pastor next reauthorization the next deadline march 8 is quickly approaching. We need her Senate Colleagues to act. Because we need to make sure air Traffic Control has more people and more beefed up. There are tricky issues with reauthorization a bipartisan way to find Common Ground of possibility contains hundreds of provisions that preserve and enhance Aviation System and ensure robust future for u. S. Aviation. That bill passed by overly bipartisan margin and we hope the senate can be bipartisan as well. I look forward to your testimony. I push at the work of chairman graves, Ranking Member larsen and the other chairman we put together good bill we hope we can have a success and confidence of the American Public airplanes flying and we dont lose business air bus. The french have already made overtures with they are trying to do to make sure there are safer planes produced all over the world. But particular their thinking the france airbus thats an important industry. Good luck, thank you. Think you rank member cohen and i reckon its a chairman for the full Committee Chairman sam greyser five minutes records thank you and rank member cohen for the hearing and thank you administrator whitaker for coming in. Its a pleasure to have you before the aviation committee. The nights its Aviation System has been a major focus of our committees work this congress. Last year we overwhelmingly as has been the theme here so far today, overwhelmingly passed a competence of bipartisan Aviation Administration reauthorization that is going to dramatically improve american aviation and the faa. The bill as it has been pointed out that many improvements been held up in the senate for more than six months. The senate it appears the senate is poised to resume its markup of the bill in a few days and i look forward to seeing if it finally happens and i look forward to sitting down with her Senate Commerce committee counterparts and start reconciling the two bills. Serious issues within the Aviation System have played out time and time again on the nightly news in my opinion the consequences of having no longterm fa bill are exacerbating. Now more than ever american aviation faa needs bold direction from congress and we cannot afford business as usual or half measures our bill will secure the growth and robust leadership the American People deserve an Aerospace System more progress continues to move the fa reauthorization for the finish line we are looking or depending on your to pick up that slack. Many of the provisions of the house passed bill are noncontroversial can be implemented by the fa without Additional Authority from congress and i would urge you and your staff to start laying the groundwork for an expeditious and Efficient Agency implementation of the provisions with congressional intent. In line with congressional intent. Today is a great opportunity for members to highlight the aviation there aviation produce the matters to them and ensure their issues are heard. Aunt understood and hopefully are addressed. We also want to hear your impressions of the agency are since you have taken over the agency centric confirmation what your priorities are ongoing obviously moving forward and finally we look forward to hearing an update on what the faa is doing regarding flight 1282 accident and what you have learned so far. I dont to thank you administrator and your staff for your very Effective Communication so far relating to the incidents and your related findings that you have found so far. Open communication i think is important. Its very important components in the committee having confidence in the actions taken by the faa and i hope this continues as the agency progresses with its oversight work and audits we all share the same goal of ensuring the safety of our Aviation System and maintaining that Gold Standard that we all talk about. With that, thank you again for coming before the committee and with that i yield back the balance of my time too. Piglets thank you mr. Treatment Ranking MemberEsther Larson for five minutes per. Think your chair just one more administrator whitaker, thank you for joining us today. Appreciate it very much weve got a lot to discuss. This hearing comes at a critical time. First we have to review the implementation of 2018 reauthorization which expired last september. Secco it to continue to push for the passage of a competence of longrange 2023 faa reauthorization which passed the house last july and finally we must examine problems the recent exposed. Safety has always been this committees top priority the Aviation System here in the u. S. Is responsible for safely transporting hundreds of millions of passengers each year without fear of harm or injury. Americans have to have the full confidence in her Aviation System and that confidence must be justified this committee must ensure the fa has the resources and tools it needs to effectively conduct its investigations, its audit enforce of actions. As always be apt to remain vigilant to ensure Something Like this accident the likelihood of this accident happening is decreased substantially. I generate for 7 30 seven was a terrifying to everyone on board but thanks the call professional actions from the flight crew everyone landed safely. Fully support is this committee does the fas decisive response to the accident which included grounding the affected max nine fleet. A separate investigation into whether boeing delivered a noncompliant aircraft to its customer, an overarching audit of boeing max production line, suppliers and prohibition increasing by 137 max production rate untils Quality Control issues are resolved. Unfortunates out the first time weve seen aircraft Quality Control issues in recent history. May of 21 then share deposit route to the department of the faa into boeing with concerns about no less than nine reports of Quality Control issues their production facilities for it since then thereve been dozens reports of similar issues leading to emergency fixes and delays in production. The Safety Culture of any organization flows from the top and i urge the boeing leadership to take time come it now, to examine the culture. They it is currently instilled and to improve. Including the recommendation for the boeing Safety Culture review. Boeing has some of the most skilled hardworking proficient workers in the world. They depend on their leadership to instill the right policies so they can effectively do their jobs. The women and men deserve answers and the public deserves answers. I also forge a ntsb playwright report and the findings of the faa investigation. I will continue to work with the chairs of the committee on the Ranking Member. On the action say for the safety and or skies. Moving onto reauthorization. The community continue its oversight of the max nine response we cannot forget her other responsibilities to pass it fa bill in july. We are waiting senate action. This creates framework for safer, and more innovative and accessible u. S. Aviation system. Aviation safety at numerous safety gaps were enumerated in recent Safety Review Team report. The house bill addresses these issues including hiring of air Traffic Control the installation of Service Surveillance and technologies and the administrative whitaker and i look forward to hearing your takeaways from the safety review report with the fas doing to implement the recommendations. We have to do more to ensure all passengers can travel safely and with dignity the house bill improves trading for Airline Personnel and contractors on assisting travelers with disabilities and mobility devices and directs dot to reduce damage to wheelchairs and mobility aid. Mistreat or where quicker i want to hear the fas work with dot and the airlines to do more for passengers with disabilities. We are a talented aviation workforce in this country the fa reit authorization bill triples fighting for the faas aviation workforce develop programs to expand the Talent Pipeline to all americans. La porte here with fa can do more to recruit, train and retain the exper