Republican Stupidity Watch: FAA Edition

Republicans in the House and Senate continue to uncritically support the Trump/Musk dismantling of government. They own the unfolding disaster that is the Trump/Musk administration.

One of Trump’s first moves in office was to fire the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and all the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. TSA Administrator David Pekoske was appointed by Trump in his first term and reappointed to a second five-year term by President Biden. 

Now, only a few weeks after the disastrous January 29 collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane, the Trump/Musk administration fired several hundred probationary employees at the Federal Aviation Administration. 

 David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said the firings were “without cause nor based on performance or conduct.” The late-night firing-by-email just targeted employees classified as probationary. “Probationary” includes not only new hires, but employees who have been promoted or transferred to new jobs within an organization, and who may have years of experience. 

The FAA’s air traffic control system has been chronically understaffed for years, because of pay that does not match the high stress and intensive training required for the jobs. 

While employees fired in late-night Friday emails were not air traffic controllers, they were essential support staff working on areas such as  FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance. Some of them, AP reported, “were working on an urgent and classified early warning radar system the Air Force had announced in 2023 for Hawaii to detect incoming cruise missiles.”

Last year, the FAA fined Musk’s SpaceX for multiple safety violations. An enraged Musk threatened lawsuits. Now, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he will bring in SpaceX “experts” to overhaul the FAA. 

I’m glad I’m not flying anywhere soon.