Niki Tsongas: “``Every order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary…”

I think it is important to remember that we are having this hearing today because it has been 47 days since the landfall of Hurricane Maria, and yet our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico are still enduring a humanitarian crisis.

Crafted on a bipartisan basis by Congress and signed into law by President Nixon, NEPA has informed Federal decision making and increased transparency for over 40 years.

I am gravely concerned not only about our efforts to correct this ongoing problem, but also about the impact it may be having on the recruitment, retention, and confidence level of the pilots we ask to fly this aircraft.

I think we're grateful for the NTSB, who's bringing some clarity, some objective clarity to just why this happened and what steps should be taken to prevent it from happening again.