Business meeting to consider S.233, to amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to modify the authority of the Office of National Drug Control Policy with respect to the World Anti-Doping Agency, S.254, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, S.434, to establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, S.836, to amend the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to strengthen protections relating to the online collection, use, and disclosure of personal information of children and teens, S.1872, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the feasibility of manufacturing in the United States products for critical infrastructure sectors, and the nominations of Bryan Bedford, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and routine lists in the Coast Guard.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
2025-06-25
Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
Today, we'll consider the nomination of Brian Bedford to be administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as five bills and a few Coast Guard promotions. Brian Bedford is ready to be FAA administrator. Over his 25-year tenure at Republic Airways, he has demonstrated a laudable commitment to aviation safety. He has grown Republic Airways to be one of the safest and largest, with over 200 aircraft in the fleet, regional airlines in the country. Mr. Bedford doesn't just have an exemplary safety record at Republic. He's also a pilot himself, and he understands the challenges of the job. He's familiar with the stress, the endless medical requirements, and how various air spaces work. He's just as familiar with aviation safety as previous nominees, if not more so. Recall that one of President Biden's FAA nominees was asked pointed questions about aviation safety. What airspace requires ADS-B transponders? What typically causes an aircraft to spin or to stall? What caused the MAX crashes? Democrats at the time criticized these questions, crying hatchet job and smear campaign, all while hailing the nominee's experience managing buses and trains. Whenever the nominee was asked about a complicated aviation question, he responded with answers like, I'm not a pilot, I don't know, I would lean on our career employees. Well, Brian Bedford is a pilot. He knows aviation, and when he listens to FAA employees, he'll actually understand what they're talking about. I would hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who were prepared to support the least qualified nominee for FAA administrator ever, would be excited to support the very qualified Mr. Bedford today. This committee understands how important it is to have an FAA administrator with actual experience.
As we all know, in January, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, killing 67 people. It was the deadliest accident in the United States in more than 15 years. Family members of some of the victims are here today. I want to thank them for their continued advocacy. As the FAA prepares to overhaul the air traffic control system for the 21st century, the agency needs a steady leader with executive experience. We are preparing to invest more than $12 billion in air traffic control. This investment in new radar, telecommunications, facilities, runway safety, and other technologies will improve the safety and reliability of the system. It is a sorely needed investment, and it will take a proven manager to make the most of it. Brian Bedford will modernize the FAA to meet today's challenges. Now, we're also considering five pieces of legislation today. Many of these bills will help ensure U.S. leadership in the global arena. For instance, the Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency of 2025 by Senators Blackburn, Capito, Wicker, Blunt, Rochester, and Lujan underscores the importance of fair play in international sports. As noted at a Commerce Subcommittee hearing last week, WADA allowed Chinese athletes who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs to compete in the Olympics without consequence. This bill addresses that. Other bills will strengthen key industries. Senator Peters and Wicker's Space Commerce Advisory Committee will ensure that key stakeholders have a seat at the table to shape the nascent commercial space industry. The Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act by Senators Ernst and Blunt Rochester will support the development of our domestic capacity in critical manufacturing. Perhaps the most consequential bill we are voting on today is Senator Markey's Children and Teen Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA 2.0.
Today's teens are growing up in a phone-based world fraught with new online challenges. This bill updates data and privacy protections from the original COPPA enacted in 1998 to cover minors between the ages of 13 and 16. This bill has strong support from members on and off this committee, and I urge my colleagues to support both the nominee and the legislation we are considering. Now, we have just gotten a quorum, and we have several members who need to go. So with my ranking members' indulgence. I'd like to make a statement, Mr. Chairman. I'll make it fast.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today, we're here to consider the nomination of Brian Bedford to be the administrator of the FAA. I want to welcome the families here from Flight 5342. As I said to you yesterday, I don't want to meet more people like you. I don't.
Sign up for free to see the full transcript
Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.