Reason Prevails—For Now

Phil Washington, Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration, has withdrawn from consideration for the position.

Washington, whose resume comprises little aviation training or experience, formerly served in the U.S. Army and currently heads the Denver International Airport (DEN)—a job in which he is responsible primarily for non-aviation matters, such as the airport’s shops, restaurants, parking, and buildings. Formerly, Washington held the position of CEO within the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Notwithstanding Washington’s lack of qualifications, the Biden White House and Democrat lawmakers vehemently supported his nomination. In a 25 March Twitter post, Secretary of Transportation and Biden acolyte Pete Buttigieg blamed “partisan attacks and procedural obstruction” for Washington’s decision, calling Republican objections to Washington’s nomination “undeserved.”

Confronted with first-hand examples of Washington’s ignorance of rudimentary aviation principles, the Democrat-led Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee last week postponed a scheduled vote on his nomination.

Following Washington’s withdrawal from contention for the FAA’s top job, a White House official set forth that Washington, despite volumes of documentation, evidence, and testimony to the contrary, had the “right qualifications and experience” for the role, and blamed Republican attacks for sinking his nomination. The official asserted the Biden administration will move swiftly to nominate a new candidate.

On 16 March 2023, fourteen Republican lawmakers—certificated pilots all—called upon Joe Biden to withdraw his nomination of Phil Washington to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. The cadre of GOP aviators cited Washington’s "zero aviation experience,” and his worrying ignorance of aviation principles, regulations, and orthodoxies.

In a letter to Biden, the lawmakers set forth: "While Mr. Washington honorably served our nation in the Army, he did not serve in an aviation unit. He is not a pilot, has zero aviation safety experience, and is entirely unqualified to lead the federal agency responsible for keeping the flying public safe."

The confederacy of GOP Congressmen and Senators pointed out that federal law requires the FAA administrator to possess "experience in a field directly related to aviation," and asserted Washington abjectly lacks such, writing: "The FAA cannot afford to be led by someone who needs on-the-job training, especially at a time when our aviation system is facing tremendous safety challenges such as multiple near-misses by airlines and the first nationwide ground stop of aircraft since 9/11.”

Signatories to the letter—Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina and Mike Rounds of South Dakota, along with 12 Congressional aviators—stated they’ve collectively logged thousands of hours of civilian and military flight time, yet Washington "has never flown a plane, never worked for an airline or an aircraft manufacturer, and never served as an air traffic controller."

"His aviation experience is limited to working at the Denver airport for less than two years," the lawmakers wrote, referring to Washington’s current role as CEO of the Denver International Airport.

Washington’s lack of experience in the aviation industry was made obvious by Senator Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas), who, during the Biden nominee’s first Senate confirmation hearing, presented Washington with a number of basic aviation-related questions—none of which he could answer. Washington’s dismal performance compelled Senator Cruz to characterize Washington as "woefully unqualified.”

What’s more, appointment to high positions in numerous federal regulatory agencies are expressly predicated upon nominees being civilians, not military personnel. Previous FAA nominees with retired military status, specifically, those who served twenty-or-more years in uniform—as Washington has—were required to secure waivers from both the House and Senate. The Biden White house, however, has deemed that Phil Washington is an exception to the requirement.

FMI: www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/faa_regulations