Oversight Hearing - National Transportation Safety Board
2025-03-26
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Source: Congress.gov
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Transcript
I want to thank all of you for joining us at this first hearing of the 119th Congress for the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. It doesn't go unnoticed that today is the one year anniversary of the collapse of the Key Bridge. And we will talk a little bit more about that subject in the course of this hearing. Many other things have happened that are under the jurisdiction of the NTSB that are also noteworthy and of recent importance. I want to recognize a couple of new faces on the dais this year. I want to welcome Ms. Stephanie Bice, vice chair of the subcommittee from the great state of Oklahoma. in Alabama's Dale Strong, who's yet to arrive. I'd also note that Mr. Jim Clyburn, my ranking member, and Chair Emeritus and Dean of the House, Mr. Hal Rogers, are expected to join us for this subcommittee today, albeit when they last served on this subcommittee together, we were solely tasked with the T part of T-HUD. Today, we welcome Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, to the subcommittee. Ms. Homendy, welcome. I want to thank you for appearing before us today and for your service to the taxpaying public. I want to start off by expressing on behalf of the entire subcommittee our heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic American Airlines-Army helicopter collision back on January 29th. This tragedy has been followed by several other incidents, from crashes in Philadelphia and Nome, Alaska, to the engine fire in Denver two weeks ago. Transportation safety has been top of mind across the nation as we look for answers and aim to mitigate the chances of future such incidents.
Safety is a top priority for the Subcommittee, and our work to fund the nation's transportation network is our duty to ensure we provide appropriate levels of support to transportation programs that ensure the safety of our skies, roads, and railroads. It is also our duty on this subcommittee to support the operations of the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB. This critical independent safety watchdog helps ensure our world-class transportation system is as safe as possible, identifying the how and why of some of our most tragic accidents and puzzling events in civil transportation. We are proud on this subcommittee to provide the resources necessary for Chair Homendy and her team to execute this mission. Most recently, I was proud to secure an anomaly to the FY25 full-year continuing resolution to help provide Chair Homendy with the necessary resources for her team to accomplish their statutory mission. Be it the key bridge that we talked about earlier, the East Palestine train derailment, or the aviation incidents that have occurred far too often in recent years, Chair Homendy's team are some of the first on the scene. In 2025, we secured a 3.6% increase for the NTSB appropriation to 145 million. We know, Chair Homendy, that you put these funds to good use. Under your leadership, the NTSB has dramatically reduced the average age of open investigations, getting reports out to the public faster. With that, I'd It'd be appropriate to recognize when he gets here the ranking member of this subcommittee, the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Clyburn. In the absence of that, however, I'm going to recognize the chairman of the full committee of the House Appropriations Committee, my good friend from the great state of Oklahoma, Tom Cole.
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Unknown (SPEAKER_02)
And Chair Hammond, thank you very much for appearing before us today. Our nation's transportation systems are relied on by Americans and passengers from across the globe. We not only expect but demand that they reflect the gold standard in safety. In recent accidents in our skies, waterways, and railways, have raised serious concerns and questions. From the mid-air collision at Reagan Washington National Airport, which my friend the chairman referred to, to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collision, these tragedies have brought devastating loss and underscored the need to ensure these situations are never repeated. The bottom line is when you get on a plane, drive over a bridge, or board a train, you shouldn't have to wonder if you'll make it to your destination safely. The mission of Chair Hamaday and her team at the National Transportation Safety Board is essential to achieving that objective. They investigate why an accident occurred and identify measures to prevent it from happening again. They don't speculate. They find the facts necessary to uphold the highest standards of reliability and safety. It's for these objectives of improving safety and saving lives that we've prioritized increased resources for the NTSB and our FY25 and FY24 funding measures. During my time on this subcommittee, I secured an 8.2% increase to your funding, and I must say you put it to very good use. So you are an excellent steward. of public money. And I'm very pleased that my friend, the chairman, built on that in 2025. Again, I greatly value our interactions and work together, Chair Hamaday, and I look forward to a continued engagement. This subcommittee, as it always has, under both Democratic and Republican stewardship, will continue to ensure safety is an utmost priority in the funding decisions we make.
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