Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the ALERT Act, which I am proud to cosponsor.

For Kansans, this bill is deeply personal.

On January 29, 2025, the world stood in disbelief as we watched tragedy unfold over the Potomac River in the collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 out of Wichita and the U.S. Army helicopter. Kansans will never forget the lives lost, the families forever changed, or the grief felt across Wichita and communities across our State.

What happened on that day demands a serious and thoughtful response from Congress to ensure that this tragedy is never repeated. We owe it to the families and to every American who steps onto a plane to make sure our national airspace is as safe as it possibly can be.

That is exactly why we must pass the ALERT Act.

This is the most significant, comprehensive reform to aviation safety in years. It reflects serious, bipartisan work to strengthen our aviation system, improve accountability, and ensure safety remains the top priority in our airspace, which is demonstrated by the fact that the legislation passed out of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Armed Services Committee unanimously.

The ALERT Act addresses all 50 safety recommendations from the NTSB and takes meaningful steps to improve transparency, coordination, training, and oversight. It strengthens pilot and air traffic control awareness through modern technology, requires advanced collision avoidance systems on aircrafts, improves helicopter route safety, and enhances air traffic control procedures.

Meaningful, lasting improvements to the safety of our airspace require Congress to work closely with victims' families, the aviation industry, and the administration, and the ALERT Act does just that. Congress must enact solutions to address the root causes that stand the test of time.

Kansas is home to the Air Capital of the World, and aviation is not just part of our economy. It is part of who we are. We will never forget what happened on January 29, and I am committed to ensuring that it will never happen again.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source