Story ID: 
Senate Panel Approves Bedford FAA Nomination
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Commerce Democrat leadership opposed the nomination
Word Count: 431
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today narrowly approved the nomination of Bryan Bedford to serve as FAA administrator, clearing the way for Senate floor consideration. The 15-to-13 vote in the committee came as the nomination has drawn opposition from the Democrat leadership and others, such as famed pilot Sully Sullenberger, over his stance on the 1,500-hour rule.
Bedford, president and CEO of Republic Airways, in past has lobbied for a change in the 1,500-hour threshold for commercial airline pilots.  During his confirmation hearing, he was repeatedly pressed about his stance on the rule and asked to commit to not having any involvement with changing it. Bedford responded that his focus is on air traffic control modernization rather than a rule change. He also pledged not to support actions that would compromise training or pilot safety.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) announced on the eve of the vote that she was going to oppose the nomination because Bedford “repeatedly refused to commit to upholding the 1500-hour rule and refused to recuse himself for his full term from granting his own company an exemption from this critical safety requirement.”
She also pointed to his response on a spectrum auction proposal that he didn’t have enough information, “despite his decades of experience in the aviation industry.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) was also against the nomination, citing the 1,500-hour rule. “Amid a surge in near-misses, an air traffic controller shortage, aging air traffic control equipment and facilities, and in the wake of the first major deadly commercial crash in more than a decade, now is not the time to weaken flight hour requirements for all aspiring airline pilots,” she said.
However, Bedford has garnered support from an array of aviation groups. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen had urged approval of the nomination, saying, “Bryan Bedford’s organizational leadership, aviation expertise and proven track record of innovation make him an outstanding choice to lead the FAA, especially in this moment, which requires strategic planning and action on the industry’s shared goal of building a brand-new air traffic control system.”
Vertical Aviation International (VAI) lauded the committee's action and called on the full Senate for swift confirmation. “From modernizing air traffic control to integrating unmanned aircraft systems (or drones) into the National Airspace System, the FAA faces a critical moment,” said VAI COO Mike Hertzendorf. “Bryan Bedford’s industry expertise and leadership make him exceptionally well-qualified to guide the agency through this period of rapid innovation and operational complexity.”