Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise to support the gentleman's future request here and to say that the bipartisan ROTOR Act, the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform bill represents a major step forward for aviation safety.

Not even 1 year ago, 67 people lost their lives when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac, and it was one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history. I do thank the families who are represented in the gallery today for their steadfast support. This is an important step to honor the memory of their loved ones.

I want to thank Senator Cruz for his bipartisanship in reaching this agreement. He and I worked together on legislation we had originally introduced called the Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act and, working with him, achieved a date certain for when these requirements had to be met. We came together to craft that bill because safety is not a partisan issue, and this bill reflects it. Most of all, I want to thank the families for their steadfast pursuit of the right answers. Even in unimaginable grief, they refused to let their loved ones be forgotten.

When the NDAA language became public that rolled back postcrash safety measures that the FAA, NTSB, and the military had agreed to, the families spoke up. They stood at a press conference with Senator Cruz and me. They made phone calls. They demanded better, and today, we are closer to delivering on that and what they have asked for.

The ROTOR Act ends the exemption for planes to be in the airspace without a broadcast signal--that includes the military, so no more flying in the dark. And what is most important, it strikes the deadly language that is in the NDAA bill that just passed here that had widened that loophole. The Senate passed the NDAA with that provision in it, but this bill repeals it, and we hope that our House colleagues will take it up very expeditiously, and I thank the chairman for working with the White House and the House to try to get that commitment from them.

But just as we have said, we have no idea how this language got in the bill in the first place. I won't be surprised if somebody tries to stop us again. But we will be ready, along with the families, along with our colleague Senator Moran, to fight for this.

This bill requires broadcast technology in aircraft operating in busy airspace. It gives pilots situational awareness and real-time alerts. And NTSB Chairwoman Homendy and her predecessors have been recommending this for over 15 years. So we want to thank her for her leadership.

It also mandates comprehensive safety reviews for all airports across the United States, military and civilian aircraft where they share the same skies. So not just here, but places like San Diego, Tampa, and Norfolk, and it requires the FAA to establish an office dedicated to FAA-DOD coordination. That is really important. It requires a memorandum of understanding with the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard to share safety data, and it directs the Army inspector general to audit pilot training, maintenance protocols and the compliance.

This bill represents real progress. I want to thank the chairman, Chairman Cruz, for working with all of us on the committee to get this legislation where it is today, passing the U.S. Senate with a firm commitment for aviation safety.

We will work with our House colleagues to continue to strengthen this. We will work with our House colleagues in the future. But passing this bill today may not be the final step, but it is a huge step forward in getting this legislation to the President's desk.

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