I want to extend our sincere gratitude to @RepSamGraves and @RepRickLarsen for their leadership on #aviation #safety and for working with us on the ALERT Act. For the first time in history, Congress is advancing legislation that comprehensively addresses all @NTSB recommendations issued following a major aviation disaster. This unprecedented, bipartisan commitment from both the Senate, led by @SenTedCruz and @SenatorCantwell, and the House underscores a shared determination to ensure such a tragedy never occurs again and to safeguard lives across the National Airspace System. We stand ready to support @SenateCommerce, @commercedems, @TransportGOP, and @TransportDems as they deliberate on the ROTOR and ALERT Acts and work to deliver a final bill to the President for consideration. On January 27, 2026, we adopted 50 safety recommendations which, once fully implemented, will save lives. To prevent another midair collision, it is imperative that the final legislation include the best of both bills and all 50 recommendations in their entirety. As I have long emphasized, NTSB investigations represent only the first step toward progress. True safety change comes through the full implementation of our safety recommendations. Seventeen years after the Colgan accident, many remain unfulfilled—a reality that is simply unacceptable.

Tim is right. On February 11, we told House Members that if the bill does not fully implement our recommendations, we would prefer to work with the FAA, Army, DOD, and others to implement them. Why have an NTSB? Why wait for our recommendations if you are just going to move a bill that bears the marks of negotiation among interest groups rather than a real commitment to public and aviation safety? We are urging the House to keep your commitment to the NTSB and to families and work with us to truly implement our recommendations. “We conducted a year-long investigation, published over 19,000 pages of evidence in our public docket, and issued 74 findings and 50 recommendations aimed at preventing another tragedy and saving lives,” said Tim LeBaron, director of NTSB’s office of aviation safety. “Efforts to now water-down our evidence-based recommendations are counter to safety and dishonor the lives of 67 people who died on January 29, 2025.”