Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to speak about the nomination of Michael Whitaker of Vermont to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Yesterday, as you know, his nomination was reported unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committee in which we both serve. That was by voice vote, with all the Members of the Commerce Committee overwhelmingly agreeing in a bipartisan fashion that Mr. Whitaker should lead the FAA. This is welcome after 18 months of having no one leading the FAA. It is not surprising that he had such strong support. Why? Michael Whitaker is immensely qualified, with over 30 years of experience in aviation, both in the public sector and in the private sector. His background and knowledge of the industry is formidable. First, Michael is a longtime aviator, so he has practical concern about safety in the air and personal experience about flying. Second, he has real experience running large and complex systems. During his time as the Deputy Administrator at the FAA from 2013 to 2016, Mike helped the FAA upgrade to satellite-enabled surveillance technology. He managed cybersecurity threats and chaired an interagency committee coordinating safety and security enhancements in our airspace. He made flying safer. Third, he has relevant private sector experience. While in the private sector, Mike has worked on strategy operations for some of the world's largest travel companies.…”