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Politico
5 days ago
- Business
- Politico
‘Commercial'? Or not?
With help from Chris Marquette QUICK FIX — Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator nominee, doesn't hold a license to fly aircraft commercially, records show — but his official biography long said he was 'rated' to do so. — Urgent checks of Boeing Dreamliners in India have begun, and authorities recovered a black box from the passenger jet that crashed in the country last week, killing more than 200 people. — The Senate Finance Committee is expected to drop some of its reconciliation text today. Will it address proposed electric vehicle and hybrid fees? IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone/ In the front seat of his car/ He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel/ The other on my heart.' Editor's Note: Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day QUESTIONS RAISED: President Donald Trump's nominee to head the FAA, Bryan Bedford, long described himself in his official biography as being 'rated' to fly aircraft commercially — but records examined by POLITICO show that he does not hold any commercial license. One of two of his biography pages at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until Thursday that he 'holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.' (By Friday, after POLITICO's inquiries, the word 'commercial' had been removed. The other reference was removed sometime in the last six months.) Oriana has the story. — Questions about Bedford's credentials do not appear to threaten his prospects for heading the FAA. He didn't respond to multiple attempts by POLITICO to get his comment, nor did Republic. The White House referred questions to DOT. The department in a statement defended Bedford, saying that 'Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected.' Aviation SCRUTINY RAMPS UP: Urgent checks of Boeing 787 Dreamliners are underway in India, and investigators have recovered a black box from the wreckage of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday in the city of Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people aboard as well as others on the ground. (It was the first fatal incident for the Dreamliner, and the cause remains unknown.) FALLOUT CONTINUES: We reported last week that Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour's attorneys are urging the FAA to release what they say are agency findings that support many of Salehpour's prior allegations of serious quality issues with the company's 787 and 777 planes. On Friday, his lawyers also sent letters to the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee's investigations panel — pushing them to enter the fray. — 'We ask that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations call on the FAA to release the [investigative report] without further delay,' they wrote to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who chairs the panel, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the ranking member. They sent a similar letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), too. (At a hearing last year, Hawley torched Boeing's then-CEO, David Calhoun, as lawmakers probed various issues at the plane-maker.) On The Hill THE WAITING GAME: Reconciliation text from the Senate Finance Committee is anticipated today, though several blanks in the language are expected — likely for thorny issues such as Medicaid provisions, Meredith Lee Hill, Jordain Carney and Benjamin Guggenheim report. One looming question: How will the panel address, if at all, the House's proposed $250 and $100 annual fees on electric and hybrid vehicles, respectively? Both the Senate Commerce and Environment and Public Works Committees didn't tackle that issue, leaving Finance as the predicted landing spot. KEEP 'EM: The Electric Drive Transportation Association is urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other key Republicans to 'provide a reasonable transition period,' as opposed to an 'abrupt termination,' for various tax credits the GOP is targeting, such as the consumer EV one known as 30D. — The group also opposes the EV and hybrid fees idea. Ethics DIGGING THROUGH ASSETS: The Office of Government Ethics released Trump's annual financial disclosure Friday, and your MT host took a look. Some notable tidbits: — The president reported two investment accounts with Tesla stock valued at up to $300,000. (These accounts were in a section of his report where officials are supposed to log certain assets and investment income for themselves as well as any spouse and dependent children, according to OGE.) — In the same accounts, he noted Boeing stock valued at up to $80,000. Automobiles GO FASTER: NHTSA is trying to speed up the process for applying for an exemption to federal motor vehicle safety standards that require car designs to have human-interfaceable parts, such as steering wheels and brakes, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy announced Friday. The driverless car industry applauded the move. Chris has the details. — 'The [process] has been rightly criticized for taking years — bogging developers down in unnecessary red tape that makes it impossible to keep pace with the latest technologies,' Duffy said in a statement. THE SPECIFICS: In a public letter Friday, NHTSA's chief counsel, Peter Simshauser, said the agency is going to update its application instructions to try to help ensure that firms submit all of the materials up front, minimizing the need for the agency to request additional information. (Prior reviews have tended to involve 'extensive follow-up with applicants.') NHTSA added that it's 'adopting a more dynamic and flexible approach' to both evaluating and overseeing exemptions. The agency said further details will be released sometime in the future, and it anticipates that the changes will mean it reaches decisions on most requests 'within months rather than years.' DOGE WATCH A DIP IN POPULARITY: Elon Musk's time as a temporary government employee was controversial, to say the least, but he enjoyed strong backing from Republicans as DOGE cut through federal agencies. He's now lost some of that support, though, a new poll from the AP and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. (In early June, Musk and Trump's relationship seemingly imploded in a social media spat, though the dispute recently cooled off. The survey of 1,158 adults was conducted around the same time.) Here are some key findings: — Musk's 'very favorable' rating among Republicans dipped to 26 percent from 38 percent in April — and those with a 'somewhat favorable' opinion of the billionaire increased from 29 percent to 38 percent, while 'somewhat unfavorable' ticked up from 15 percent to 18 percent. The Caboose SOME LEVITY: The House is enjoying recess this week, the Senate is in town for only a few days ... but things are still busy in D.C. as Republicans work through the upper chamber's version of the reconciliation package. We thought we'd kick Monday off with a bit of fun — trivia! — Earlier this year, your MT host sat down with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), a former car dealership owner, for an interview. We asked Moreno, who was elected in 2024 and sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, what his favorite mode of transportation is. What do you think he said? Here are three options. One is his actual response and the others are made-up. We'll provide the answer tomorrow morning: — The Funny Bus in Cleveland. — Any car that has a 'shit ton of horsepower.' — A high-speed powerboat. A FEW TIDBITS: Moreno also told us he doesn't plan to be in Congress for 'more than a term or two.' Boosting the U.S. auto industry, he added, is his top priority. And he bemoaned high car prices and dinged the Inflation Reduction Act. Transit ANY CHANGE?: Notice a difference on your commute? Drop us a line if you do. WMATA rolled out automatic train operation technology on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines this past weekend. (It was previously deployed on the Red Line.) The Autobahn — 'Air India Was Struggling Long Before 787 Crash.' Wall Street Journal. — 'How the Man in Seat 11A Became a Plane Crash's Sole Survivor.' New York Times. — 'Is There a Safest Seat in a Plane Crash? We Asked Experts.' New York Times. — 'New Fees on Floating Garages Are Trump's Latest Effort to Revive U.S. Shipbuilding.' New York Times. — 'Boeing CEO cancels air show appearance visit after India crash.' Reuters. — 'May imports drop 9% at busiest US seaport on 145% China tariffs.' Reuters. — 'Boeing Sees Need For 44,000 New Jets; Cautions on Slow Output.' Bloomberg. — 'Delta, United Suspend Flights to Tel Aviv After Iran Bombing.' Bloomberg. — 'China Boosts Tesla Self-Driving Plan With Car-Data Export Rules.' Bloomberg. — 'EPA aims to boost biofuel volumes in transportation fuel.' E&E News. — 'Port of LA warns that tariffs are still disrupting global trade.' POLITICO Pro. On The Calendar — Nothing on our radar! Know of an event we should have on our calendar? Let MT know at transpocalendar@
Politico
09-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
FAA nominee to face Hill grilling
Presented by With help from Sam Ogozalek and Ry Rivard QUICK FIX — President Donald Trump's pick for FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, will face senators this week for his confirmation hearing. He's in for some tough questions. — Elon Musk and Trump's public war of words has calmed down (a bit). But Republicans on Capitol Hill fret that the situation could derail the GOP's reconciliation package. — Trump says he won't cut his 25 percent auto tariffs. But that could hamstring trade talks with the EU, Japan and South Korea, who still think the duties are on the table. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'We can leave this world, leave it all behind/We can steal this car if your folks don't mind/We can live forever if you've got the time, oh/I'm the only friend that makes you cry.' Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day FINALLY A HEARING: Bryan Bedford, the Republic Airways executive slated to be the Trump administration's next FAA administrator, will be in the Senate Commerce Committee hot seat. And we expect questions about his past stance on commercial pilot certification requirements and his plans to right the ship at FAA (with fewer employees, thanks to DOGE). Senators will want to hear how he plans to grapple with a host of challenges, namely the first major aviation disaster in nearly two decades. — To recap: Bedford's past positions on pilot training will put him at odds with Democrats especially, who have strongly objected to any changes to a longstanding rule requiring commercial pilots to have 1,500 hours of flight time. Republic Airways in 2022 asked the FAA for an exception to the rule in an attempt to train and get pilots in cockpits at its airline faster, but the FAA rejected the request. (And in general regional airlines have wanted the rules to be relaxed, saying they're crimping pilot supply.) — Not budging: Bedford has met Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking member on the Senate Commerce aviation panel, on the issue. Afterward, she issued a statement saying whoever heads up the FAA needs to ensure the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training remains in place. — The big ticket: Bedford will no doubt get questions about how he plans to push forward the Trump administration's ambitious plan to fix decades-long air traffic control woes — and he'll likely get some uncomfortable questions about the extent to which the agency's workforce has been hollowed out by resignations and early probationary firings. Expect questions about the concerning outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, as well. On The Hill SECLUDED: Elon Musk is leaving Washington with few political friends that could provide him cover over his businesses, chief among them Tesla — vulnerable to declining sales as the sentiment around electric vehicles continues to plummet. E&E News' David Ferris reports that Musk for months has worked his way to isolate the usual liberal base who once favored his electric cars, and now as he tries to turn more lawmakers away from the GOP megabill, he's whittling out any friends he possibly had in the federal government. TAKING A BEAT: While Musk and President Donald Trump each took a (small) step back from their ongoing public row over the bill — specifically about the legislation's removal of EV tax credits and other incentives — the die nonetheless was cast. Republicans' worry was in full gear by Friday morning that their fight could distract from the president's agenda and derail Congress' 'Big Beautiful Bill.' POLITICO's Congress team got lawmakers' reaction — mostly hoping for a quick detente. TOW COMING?: As of Friday morning, the Tesla Model S Trump showcased back in March on the White House lawn — and also purchased — was still parked there, though The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is considering selling the car, which retails for $80,000. (Fox News, meanwhile, said it was as good as gone). WHAT ELSE IS AT STAKE: Speaking of how Musk's firms could fare amid the ongoing feud, a POLITICO team has you covered on all the ways in which his business empire could take a hit if his fight with Trump escalates. EV/HYBRID FEE ON TAP?: The electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle annual registration fees included in the House-passed reconciliation bill were not in the Senate EPW title or the Senate Commerce title, but they could appear in the bill that comes out of the Senate Finance Committee. Some lawmakers, like Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) want to make the $250 EV fee and $100 hybrid fee even steeper than the House proposal, but it remains to be seen what actually gets into the bill. SOME SUNLIGHT?: The House is scheduled to consider today a bill by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), H.R. 188, that would subject Amtrak's board of directors to open meeting requirements. The House Transportation Committee approved it by voice vote in April. Automobiles SEEKING A REPRIEVE: Trump says he won't cut his 25 percent auto tariffs as part of any trade deals he negotiates with other countries — but the EU, Japan and South Korea think those duties are still on the table, according to two people familiar with those talks, Daniel Desrochers and Megan Messerly report. If Trump is unwilling to reduce or nix his car tariffs, it could generate a major obstacle to securing meaningful deals. RESETTING CAFE STANDARDS: NHTSA on Friday published a rule to reset the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, a move that would allow it to not consider electric vehicles when outlining fuel economy regulations. It marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to hit against the electric vehicle industry and Democrat-implemented regulations. Opponents of the Biden administration's CAFE standards, including DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and a wide array of other Republicans, contend that the per gallon requirements operate as an electric vehicle mandate. — 'The previous administration illegally used CAFE standards as an electric vehicle mandate – raising new car prices and reducing safety. Resetting CAFE standards as Congress intended will lower vehicle costs and ensure the American people can purchase the cars they want,' Duffy said in a statement. Alex Guillén has the details. RECONCILIATION TIE: The Senate Commerce Committee last week unveiled its part of the reconciliation package that proposes to eliminate penalties on automakers that don't comply with CAFE standards. drones ALL THE BUZZ: Trump on Friday signed two executive orders intended to give the U.S. drone industry a leg up over foreign-made counterparts and to expedite drone and air taxi operations stateside. Oriana has more. KEEP IT U.S.: One provision outlines efforts to expand access to U.S.-manufactured drones and promote them as U.S. exports, in an effort to push federal agencies away from foreign-made drones from companies like China-based DJI that the federal government has said poses privacy or security concerns. — DJI Friday responded to the orders, saying it has 'always supported technically grounded minimum security requirements across all UAS manufacturers, regardless of their country of origin' and that it 'welcomes and embraces opportunities to demonstrate our privacy controls and security features.' Aviation SUPER SPEED: Trump also issued an executive order Friday calling for the FAA to get rid of existing prohibitions on supersonic flight over U.S. land. Oriana has more details. NEWARK FLIGHT LIMIT IN EFFECT: The FAA formally imposed its 28 arrivals and departures per hour limit at Newark on Friday, which puts the restrictions in place during airport construction on weekends from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. Arrivals and departures won't exceed 34 of each per hour the rest of the time through Oct. 25. TINY JUMP: House Republican appropriators on Sunday unveiled their fiscal 2026 DHS funding bill ahead of a subcommittee markup today. TSA would get a slight bump to $11.2 billion, a less than 1 percent increase compared to current funding. Jennifer Scholtes has the story. DOGE WATCH WE WANT YOU BACK: The Washington Post on Friday reported that DOGE's slash and burn of federal workers is now coming home to roost, with the Trump administration scrambling to get experienced employees back at many agencies stifled with a deeper workload since their colleagues were haphazardly dismissed or pushed to take an early resignation offer. As MT readers recall, Chris and Sam broke down similar movement happening within the halls of DOT. Infrastructure TRUMP FUNDING GATEWAY: The Trump administration is recommending $700 million in the 2026 budget for the Hudson River train tunnel, the $16 billion project to bolster the connection between New York and New Jersey. The funding recommendation by the FTA is a sign that President Donald Trump is no longer attempting to upend the Gateway program, as he did by slow rolling it during his first term. — Elements of the tunnel project are already under construction and employing union workers. According to a recent Regional Plan Association report, the Gateway program could generate 'close to $445 billion in economic benefits' in coming decades. The Autobahn — 'Trump's FAA Pick Once Played a Flight Attendant on TV. It Drew FAA Scrutiny.' The Wall Street Journal. — 'Counting Up the Potential Costs of the Trump-Musk Rift.' The New York Times. — 'Boeing Poised to Restart Jet Handovers to China Amid Trade Spat.' Bloomberg. — 'Trump Has Power, a Big Megaphone and Billions to Spend. So Does Musk.' The New York Times. — 'Trump wants a manufacturing boom. The industry is buckling.' POLITICO. — 'Trump administration says it'll work with state on Long Island traffic crashes.' Newsday. — 'Over the moon: How the Trump-Musk feud helps the lunar mission.' POLITICO. — 'Exclusive: United shuts down Starlink Wi-Fi on regional jets.' The Points Guy. — 'Costco cards good for 'hot dogs & rotisserie chickens,' not airports, TSA says.' USA TODAY. — 'No fatalities reported after skydiving plane crashes in Tennessee, officials say.' CNN. Know of an event we should have on our calendar? Let MT know at transpocalendar@
Politico
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Politico
How has the NTSB fared with DOGE?
Presented by With help from Chinanu Okoli, Jessie Blaeser and Oriana Pawlyk QUICK FIX — DOGE has taken a chainsaw to some federal agencies. But so far, the National Transportation Safety Board has emerged relatively unscathed. — Goodbye, Elon Musk. Maybe? — DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is in hot water with the White House as he wades into a looming Senate primary in Michigan. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'Well, I started the engine and I gave it some gas/ And Cathy was closing her purse/ Well, we hadn't gone far in my beat-up old car/ And I was prepared for the worst/ 'Will you still see me tomorrow?'/ 'No, I got too much to do'/ Well, a question ain't really a question/ If you know the answer, too.' Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day NO MASSIVE UPHEAVAL: Even though Elon Musk is (officially) done with his government role, DOGE's cost-cutting mission continues — and so far, the independent National Transportation Safety Board has not experienced massive disruption like other agencies have. A DOGE team, though, was recently assigned to review the NTSB's contracts, staffing and leases, the agency confirmed to POLITICO. It happened about two weeks ago, the agency said Thursday. (Reuters first wrote of the team's existence.) — The NTSB declined to comment further, referring other questions to DOGE, whose recently departed spokesperson, Katie Miller, didn't respond to a request for comment. The group also didn't reply to a message sent via X, its preferred communications platform. SHOW ME THE MONEY: Your MT host examined DOGE's so-called Wall of Receipts, which details its cost-cutting efforts in a sometimes error-riddled fashion, to see how the safety board has fared. DOGE has posted five NTSB contracts it says it has terminated — but has only listed savings in one case: $23,405 for canceling an award to Monica Thakrar Inc., a consulting firm, for 'organizational development services.' (This figure is the difference between the total potential value of the contract and its currently obligated amount. The NTSB had already paid the company $7,519 for its work, according to USA Spending, but on Friday the firm told your MT host that the outlay was actually a bit higher than that: $8,786.) — DOGE claims $0 in savings for the four other terminations, according to data it published on May 26. These included contracts for LinkedIn software licenses and leadership training. BREAKING IT DOWN: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy in March said the agency didn't fire any probationary workers as part of the Trump administration's wide-scale effort earlier in the year to terminate those employees, who have fewer job protections than other federal staff. She added that the NTSB was exempt from a 'deferred resignation' program. — In a mid-April letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Homendy said the agency crafted a reduction-in-force and reorganization plan and expects to eliminate 14 positions 'through regular attrition,' including one in the Office of Highway Safety and two in the Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications. In the letter, which was seen by POLITICO and first reported by Reuters, Homendy added that she was reviewing all roles to 'ensure they are necessary to efficiently and effectively carry out our public safety mission.' Homendy in March told House appropriators that the agency had 427 employees. DOGE WATCH SO LONG ... SORTA?: During an Oval Office news conference Friday billed as a goodbye to Musk, President Donald Trump suggested that the billionaire might continue to drop by as DOGE continues its campaign. 'Elon's really not leaving, he's gonna be back and forth I think, I have a feeling,' Trump told reporters. — Musk, for his part, said he would remain a friend and 'adviser' to Trump. He added that it was only the beginning for DOGE. CHECK IT OUT: Debra Kahn, the former California bureau chief for POLITICO who has a background in covering transportation policy, is now a columnist — and her latest piece digs into Musk's relationship with Democrats, and how the party is conflicted over the billionaire's recent pivot to criticizing the GOP's reconciliation megabill. ELECTION 2026 DUFFY IN THE DOGHOUSE: Trump allies aren't happy with DOT Secretary Sean Duffy for jumping into Michigan's looming Senate primary, with the former congressman headlining a planned Wednesday fundraiser for his friend, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), who's preparing to run against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.). Adam Wren has the scoop. — The move puts Duffy at odds with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and 2024 Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita. 'He did not ask for it to be approved,' a person close to Trump told Adam. A spokesperson for Duffy didn't respond to a request for comment. APPROPRIATIONS DIGGING IN: Chris, Sam and Oriana have the latest on DOT's fiscal 2026 budget request, including how the Trump administration wants to slash money for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and is seeking $111.3 billion in 'new budgetary resources,' according to a summary from the agency. At the Agencies NOT NOW: Duffy recently said that DOT would conduct a RIF as soon as late May — but on Friday, an agency spokesperson confirmed that the department is holding off on a mass-layoff 'due to ongoing litigation' and will revisit the issue once the 'legal issues are resolved.' — As MT readers will know, a federal judge in California has temporarily blocked many agencies, including DOT, from carrying out RIFs while a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and other groups plays out. The Justice Department sought a pause of the judge's decision, but an appeals court on Friday denied that motion. drones GIVE 'EM A BOOST: A drone industry official told Oriana that the White House is preparing new executive orders that aim to bolster U.S. companies as Chinese rivals dominate the market. They could come as soon as Wednesday, but the strategy remains fluid and is still subject to change. Among other things, the Trump administration wants to speed up rules pending at the FAA that would allow drones to fly farther without an observer present. Aviation A BIT CONFUSING: During the news conference with Musk, Trump on Friday said 'we're bidding out' air traffic control systems 'to the best companies in the world.' (This is an apparent reference to Duffy's plan to modernize FAA infrastructure and technology that underpins the national airspace.) DOT is still seeking an unclear amount of funding from Congress to carry out the initiative. A SIGH OF RELIEF: Duffy in an X post Friday announced that runway construction at Newark Liberty International Airport, which compounded recent communications and radar issues, has wrapped up nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. NEXT STEPS: In a Sunday court filing, a federal judge in Texas laid out a timeline for the ongoing fraud conspiracy case tied to the 2018 and 2019 Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. (The Trump administration has reached a nonprosecution agreement with the company and has asked the judge to dismiss the case.) — Victims' families have to file any responses to the motion to dismiss by June 18, and the government and Boeing must file any replies by June 25. Space ANOTHER PROBE: The FAA said Friday it will oversee a SpaceX-led mishap investigation of the company's ninth test flight of its Starship craft, which broke up on reentry over the Indian Ocean following a propellant leak. (The vehicle's booster, meanwhile, blew up over the Gulf of Mexico, but the agency isn't requiring Musk's company to look into that as it was purposefully subjecting it to extreme testing.) — All 'debris landed within the designated hazard areas,' the FAA said, and there were no reports of injuries or property damage. Starship is grounded until the agency is satisfied with SpaceX's inquiry and its work to address whatever happened during the latest flight. NEW FACES ICYMI: In the premiere episode of The Conversation, POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns sat down with Mehmet Oz — now leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — for a candid talk on drug prices, potential Medicaid cuts and why he's getting early morning calls from Trump. Watch the full episode on YouTube. And don't miss a moment — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes when they drop. The Autobahn — 'Musk Lobbies Washington to Clear Way for Self-Driving Cars.' Bloomberg. — 'On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family Drama.' New York Times. — 'Trump Has Targeted a Plane China Sees as a 'Power' Symbol.' New York Times. — 'Ford recalls more than 29,000 vehicles in the US, NHTSA says.' Reuters. — 'Trump says he'll double steel tariff to 50 percent.' POLITICO Pro. — 'German carmakers promise 'massive' investments in US to dodge Trump tariffs.' POLITICO Pro. — 'Imports plunge in early sign of Trump tariff impact.' POLITICO. — 'White House plans to pull nomination for NASA administrator.' POLITICO.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
DOJ moves to end Boeing felony case
With help from Oriana Pawlyk QUICK FIX — The Justice Department announced a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing in an ongoing fraud conspiracy case tied to deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. — The Army wrapped up an internal review after an early May incident in which a Black Hawk helicopter near the Pentagon caused go-arounds for two commercial jets. — It's a big day in court for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's lawsuit over the Trump administration's attempt to end congestion pricing in Manhattan. IT'S TUESDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'Out on the street, the traffic starts jumpin'/ With folks like me on the job from nine to five.' Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day BIG CHANGE: The Justice Department said Friday it had reached an agreement to end its felony case against Boeing for the company's role in the 2018 and 2019 MAX 8 disasters in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed 346 people. Oriana and Sam have the story. Under the deal, the plane-maker must spend more than $1.1 billion on fines, safety improvements and compensation for the relatives of those who died. Democratic lawmakers last week assailed the DOJ's shift. WHAT MUST THE COMPANY 'ADMIT' TO? Under the agreement, the Justice Department will ask a federal judge to dismiss the case — but Boeing will have to 'admit to conspiracy to obstruct and impede' federal regulators. The company declined to comment. DOJ in a statement said: 'Nothing will diminish the victims' losses, but this resolution holds Boeing financially accountable, provides finality and compensation for the families and makes an impact for the safety of future air travelers.' AWAITING WORD: Judge Reed O'Connor, of the Northern District of Texas, could dismiss the case ahead of a scheduled trial next month. Victims' families filed a petition with the court Friday to oppose that. Aviation SERVICE SAYS IT'S OK: An internal Army review found 'no deviations from approved flight paths and no risk of intersecting air traffic' when on May 1 a Black Hawk helicopter flying in Washington airspace forced two commercial jets inbound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to perform go-around maneuvers, the military branch said in a statement Friday. (The Army suspended such flights after a wave of concern from lawmakers.) — The service said the Black Hawk was landing at the Pentagon at the time and carried no passengers, and its location was broadcast via ADS-B Out. The go-arounds, directed by air traffic controllers at Reagan National, were 'out of an apparent abundance of caution,' the Army said. The first of these occurred before the helicopter reached the Pentagon helipad and 'was the result of an issue with sequencing of air traffic' by the airport's tower, according to the Army. The second came during the Black Hawk's 'subsequent traffic pattern and was based on conflicting positional data from legacy tracking systems.' MORE SPECIFIC: Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army's aviation chief, in an interview with the AP said that military air traffic controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk for about 20 seconds as it approached the Pentagon 'because a temporary control tower antenna was not set up in a location where it would be able to maintain contact,' the wire service reports. Reagan National controllers aborted the first plane landing as the Black Hawk flew toward the Pentagon because 'both aircraft would be nearing the [building] around the same time, Braman said.' Then, because of the loss of contact, 'the Pentagon's tower did not clear the Black Hawk to land, so the helicopter circled the Pentagon a second time. That's when [Reagan National] controllers ... decided to abort the landing of a second jet' because 'they did not have a confident fix on the Black Hawk's location,' according to the AP, which cited Braman. GETTING SOME CLARITY: In a call with reporters Friday, United Airlines offered a breakdown of how the FAA's interim order temporarily capping hourly arrival and departure rates at Newark Liberty International Airport compares to current flight operations. The key difference? The airport normally is scheduled to have 77 arrivals and departures per hour, but instead has regularly operated around 83 to 84 per hour (including both domestic and international travel). Many airlines reduced their schedules due to ongoing runway construction that goes until June 15 at Newark. Then, after the radar and communications outages began late last month, United further lowered its number of flights. — Now, under the FAA's order, both arrivals and departures can't exceed 28 per hour (56 total) until mid-June and on Saturdays from Sept. 1 until the end of the year. They also can't go above 34 per hour (68 total) through Oct. 25, after the daily runway construction wraps up next month. (The lower cap will still apply on Saturdays during this timeframe.) Automobiles TAKING IT TO COURT: A federal judge in New York City at 10 a.m. today will hold a hearing on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's pending request for a preliminary injunction that would block DOT from terminating the congestion pricing tolls in Manhattan while a lawsuit continues. (Others are seeking an injunction, as well: the New York DOT, New York City DOT and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.) Electric Vehicles DISMISSIVE: A day after the Government Accountability Office concluded that DOT had violated federal impoundment law by refusing to spend appropriated funds on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, White House budget director Russell Vought on Friday mocked the watchdog's opinion in an X post. 'These are non-events with no consequence. Rearview mirror stuff,' he wrote, after noting that he expects similar GAO findings in the future. ALL IN THIS TOGETHER? The governors of Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington said Friday they are joining California to form an 'Affordable Clean Cars Coalition' — but avoided any policy commitments, Camille von Kaenel reports. The announcement came after the Senate voted last week to overturn a Biden-era EPA waiver for California's EV mandate, which these states had signed on to. (Some had recently taken steps to roll back their commitments.) At the Agencies ICYMI: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in an X post Friday, referencing a recent Reuters report that a DOGE team has been assigned to review operations at the NTSB, said: 'This is a blatant conflict of interest. Oversight Dems will not allow Musk to weaken the agency that keeps our roads safe and give his company a free pass.' (The independent safety board has probed Tesla crashes.) The Autobahn — 'Runway lights not working before fatal San Diego plane crash, NTSB says.' Washington Post. — 'SpaceX Pushes to Get Starship Rocket Ready for Mars by Next Year.' Wall Street Journal. — 'Tariffs Add Fuel to Hot Used-Car Sales.' Wall Street Journal. — 'Daddy's home: Andy Byford to make NYC return for Penn Station remake, White House says.' Gothamist. — 'Inside United's Command Center at Newark Airport.' New York Times.
Politico
19-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
DOGE takes aim at DOT leases
Presented by The American Public Transportation Association With help from Oriana Pawlyk QUICK FIX — Elon Musk's cost-cutting squad claims to have canceled leases for DOT subagencies across 20 states and Puerto Rico. 'It's part of the chaos,' an FTA employee said. — Boeing and the Justice Department have discussed a possible nonprosecution agreement to avoid a June trial in a fraud case tied to the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes. — Buckle up: The House GOP is facing down a (self-imposed) crunch time for its megabill. Here's the state of play. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'So I started driving/ And left my home behind me/ The row there kept reminding/ Of pages in your writing.' Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day A BUZZSAW: DOT is getting hit by DOGE's cost-cutting crew — and not just in Washington. The group says it has terminated more than two dozen leases from Oregon to Rhode Island for six subagencies, a POLITICO analysis found. Sam has the story. (The review was based on data that DOGE updated on May 11.) — The slash-and-burn campaign conflicts with the Trump administration's push to nix remote work, sowing confusion among staff. 'They said 'drain the swamp,' but apparently the swamp is the whole country,' said an FHWA employee, granted anonymity due to fear of professional reprisal. — A DOT spokesperson in a statement said the department is working to provide 'alternative duty stations and duty station reassignments for employees whose office lease is being terminated' and aims to ensure that 'return-to-work policies are still being upheld.' BY THE NUMBERS: Elon Musk's team reported 26 lease cancellations total for the FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, FRA, MARAD and PHMSA. The terminations stretched across 20 states and Puerto Rico. Aviation POTENTIAL (CONTROVERSIAL) RESOLUTION: DOJ lawyers in a Friday meeting told families of victims from the 2018 and 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crashes that the federal government and aerospace company have discussed a possible nonprosecution agreement to avoid a trial set for June 23 — an idea the relatives strongly oppose, a court filing shows. — The Justice Department said the parties have 'not exchanged a draft written agreement' and prosecutors have yet to make up their minds on whether they should enter into it. (The fraud case is tied to the Indonesia and Ethiopia disasters, which killed 346 people.) 'The Government will continue to consider all of the views expressed during the conferral before it decides how to proceed,' DOJ court papers say. The department added that it has agreed to receive comments from families by Thursday, and after that it will 'promptly' inform a federal judge of how it plans to move forward. Boeing declined to comment to POLITICO. NO DECISION YET: The FAA said Friday that, over the course of three days, regulators met last week with airlines to weigh flight reductions at Newark Liberty International Airport, which has been grappling with a string of radar and communications problems, among other issues. A final determination on arrival rates, the agency said, will come on or after May 28. — The FAA said it is proposing a maximum arrival rate of 28 aircraft per hour until some runway construction wraps up at Newark. Daily work will end June 15, and will continue on Saturdays through year's end. Outside of that period, the agency wants to cap the hourly arrival rate at 34 aircraft until Oct. 25. — That's a similar (but seemingly scaled-back) version of an earlier proposal the FAA detailed in the Federal Register last week. Initially, the agency said it wanted both hourly arrival and departure rates of no more than 28 aircraft until June 15, continuing on weekends from Sept. 1 through the end of the year, from Fridays at 11:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m. on Sundays. Outside of those periods, the FAA pitched a 'targeted' scheduling rate of 34 arrivals per hour, and a corresponding departure rate of the same number, through Oct. 25, between 6 a.m. and 10:59 p.m. The FAA said Sunday it would respond to a request for comment today. On The Hill IN A RUSH: House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to muscle through the GOP's reconciliation legislation by Memorial Day — and his struggle to find consensus between moderates and conservatives arguing over spending cuts and tax policy will be the major issue this week on Capitol Hill. (For a primer on the House Transportation Committee's slice of the package, see here.) Otherwise, it's a relatively slow week for transportation issues in Congress as the holiday approaches. On the agenda: — 1 p.m. Tuesday: The House Appropriations Committee's homeland security panel will host an oversight hearing about TSA. Acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill will testify. Expect questions about everything from the Trump administration's staffing cuts to CLEAR. — 10 a.m. Wednesday: The Senate Commerce Committee will mark up David Armstrong Fink's nomination for FRA administrator and Robert Gleason's nomination to join the Amtrak board of directors. They are expected to be approved. During a confirmation hearing last week, Gleason, a former chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, avoided any fireworks, and Fink emerged relatively unscathed despite some concerns from Democrats about a New England freight railroad he ran, Pan Am Railways. (Under his leadership, the FRA once raised serious safety concerns about the company.) At the Agencies TAKING IT TO THE HIGH COURT: The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to immediately proceed with its plan to conduct mass layoffs, known as reductions in force. The government appealed a California federal judge's recent order, which lasts through Friday, preventing them from taking place, including at DOT, Hassan Ali Kanu reports. (Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy previously said an RIF will occur at the department, but not until late May at the earliest.) Maritime FRIGHTENING SCENE: The NTSB said early Sunday it was sending a go-team to New York City after a Mexican Navy tall ship, the Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday, snapping its masts. Almost 280 people were aboard the vessel, and two crew members were killed. New York City Mayor Eric Adams in an X post said a preliminary inspection found no damage to the bridge, and it had reopened. Automobiles ROAD TRIPPIN': DOT said Friday that Duffy will hold an expo at the agency's headquarters, open to the public on May 29, that will feature various U.S.-made vehicles, 'including the best road trip ready models like SUVs to family-friendly minivans and RVs.' Industry will be on hand to share 'tips and resources,' and Duffy is anticipated to make a 'major announcement.' The Autobahn — 'Newark's Air Traffic Control Staffing Crisis Is Dire. It's Also Not Unique.' New York Times. — 'Audio Data Shows Newark Outage Problems Persisted Longer Than Officials Said.' New York Times. — 'New Jersey, State of Constant Motion, Learns to Live With Immobility.' New York Times. — 'Local leaders say they'll pay $5.6 billion to automate Metro.' Washington Post. — 'US Says It's Not Decided Next Steps on NYC's Congestion Pricing.' Bloomberg. — 'U.S. Government Drops Lawsuit Against Southwest Airlines.' Wall Street Journal. — 'GM Is Pushing Hard to Tank California's EV Mandate.' Wall Street Journal. — 'Appeals court lifts block on Trump executive order targeting federal worker unions.' POLITICO. — 'NJ Transit strike ends after shutting down New Jersey trains for weekend, union says.' POLITICO.
