Phillip A. Washington speaks at a nomination hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill on March 01, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images
President Joe Biden’s alternative to run the Federal Aviation Administration has withdrawn his nomination, a setback for the administration that comes after Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington appeared to lack enough support within the closely divided Senate.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed Washington’s withdrawal in a tweet Saturday night, calling him “a wonderful nominee” and blaming undeserved and partisan attacks.
Republicans were united in opposition to Washington, calling him unqualified due to limited aviation experience. Democrats and allied independents still might need pushed the nomination through, but key senators on their side balked at supporting Biden’s pick.
Washington’s fate appeared settled when Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., abruptly called off a scheduled vote last Wednesday — an indication that she lacked enough votes to maneuver the nomination out of committee. She said some senators wanted more details about Washington.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who was a Democrat until switching to independent in December, and moderate Democrat Jon Tester of Montana declined to say how they might have voted. An individual accustomed to the matter told The Associated Press that Sinema was holding up the nomination and had indicated her opposition. The person was not authorized to debate the method publicly and insisted on anonymity.
Before the White House broadcasts a latest nominee, it likely will want assurances of support from Sinema, Tester and other moderates.
The FAA has lacked a Senate-confirmed administrator since March 2022. The agency is attempting to reassure Americans that air travel is protected despite a surge in close calls between planes this 12 months. It’s also fighting aging technology that failed in January, briefly canceling all takeoffs across the country. And it continues to be attempting to repair its popularity after approving Boeing planes that crashed in 2018 and 2019.
“The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and Phil Washington’s transportation & military experience made him a wonderful nominee,” Buttigieg tweeted Saturday night. “The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service.”
Washington ran transit agencies in Denver and Los Angeles, but his only aviation-related experience is serving as CEO of the Denver airport for lower than two years. He has strong ties to the administration, nonetheless — he led Biden’s 2020 transition team for the Transportation Department, which incorporates the FAA.
Biden nominated Washington last July, but he didn’t get a committee hearing for eight months. Republicans attacked his resume and seized on disclosures that his name appeared in search warrants related to a corruption investigation in Los Angeles. Washington said he did nothing flawed and had not been contacted by law enforcement.
The agency is being led by an acting administrator, Billy Nolen, a pilot who has held safety jobs at three airlines and the FAA. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who led opposition to Washington, said Nolen could win bipartisan support.
In an announcement Saturday night, Cruz said Washington’s lack of needed experience was obvious.
“Given the numerous challenges facing the FAA, this wasn’t the time for an administrator who needed on-the-job training,” he said. “The Biden administration must now quickly name someone to go the FAA who has an in depth aviation background, can earn widespread bipartisan support within the Senate, and can keep the flying public protected.”
