Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Trump Administration’s Reckless Cuts To Vital FAA Jobs That Keep The Skies Safe

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to decry Donald Trump and DOGE’s harmful cuts to the FAA, emphasizing that firing air safety personnel and other FAA workers, particularly amid recent plane crash incidents, puts Americans at risk. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

The more Donald Trump and DOGE indiscriminately hack away at public agencies, the greater harm to Americans wellbeing and even their safety.

The FAA is a good example. Just weeks after the deadliest plane crash in a long time, and just as we see more incidents around the country, President Trump has fired hundreds of FAA workers, including air safety personnel.

Firing people whose very job it is to keep air travel safe is nothing short of reckless.

Now, the White House accused us of linking the crash of the Minneapolis flight directly with FAA cuts in staffing.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I simply said that when there are fewer FAA personnel, the skies are less safe.

Does Donald Trump deny that there are fewer FAA staffers?

Does Donald Trump deny that when he fires FAA workers, including workers who focus on safety, it makes air travel less safe?

Of course, Donald Trump is obfuscating once again, he doesn’t want the truth to come out. But, he should course correct immediately and halt these firings, because the safety of the skies is at risk.

Now, of course we know that President Trump ignores the truth, but we need to speak in truth when people’s safety is at stake.

Here are the facts: something went terribly wrong on the flight that took off from Minneapolis. That is clear.

An investigation is underway, and as I said yesterday, I await their results.

Similarly, something went terribly wrong a few weeks ago on the flight from Kansas to Washington, D.C. that claimed 67 lives.

And here are more facts: Donald Trump and Elon Musk have fired hundreds FAA staffers, including safety specialists – the very people who keep our skies safe – all so Republicans can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.

Why, at a time when incidents in the air, on the runways, and in our airports seem to be increasing, would we cut the very people meant to prevent them?

Simple: Donald Trump and DOGE are doing it, like they are doing with so much else, so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.

I hope the results of these ongoing investigations into recent incidents will produce findings that Congress can implement to save lives and make the sky safer.

In the meantime, we must prioritize Americans’ safety, and not cut vital FAA jobs.

Those are the facts, plain and simple. Donald Trump may not like facts, Donald Trump may not like the truth, but turning away from facts will only hurt the American people and put lives in danger.

That is a fact.

###