    [Senate Hearing 119-336]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 119-336

                     NOMINATIONS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
                     TRANSPORTATION AND THE METROPOLITAN
                        WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                             COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                          SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                NOVEMBER 5, 2025

                                   __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                     [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                    Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                   ______

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    63-122 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2026

           SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                           TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
    JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             MARIA CANTWELL, Washington,
    ROGER WICKER, Mississippi                Ranking
    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
    JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
    DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
    MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee          GARY PETERS, Michigan
    TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
    TED BUDD, North Carolina             TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
    ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri               JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
    JOHN CURTIS, Utah                    BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
    BERNIE MORENO, Ohio                  JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
    TIM SHEEHY, Montana                  JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
    SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  ANDY KIM, New Jersey
    CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming              LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
                     Brad Grantz, Republican Staff Director
               Nicole Christus, Republican Deputy Staff Director
                       Lila Harper Helms, Staff Director
                     Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page
    Hearing held on November 5, 2025.................................     1
    Statement of Senator Cruz........................................     1
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated October 29, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Ed Bolen, President
          and CEO, National Business Aviation Association............    66
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated November 4, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Ed Bolen,
          President & CEO, National Business Aviation Association....    66
        Support letter for Trent Morse to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon.
          Maria Cantwell from Michael Kiely, President, UPS Global
          Government Affairs.........................................    67
        Support letter for Trent Morse dated October 31, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Terri Fariello,
          Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Global
          Public Policy, United Airlines.............................    67
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated November 3, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Captain Jason,
          Ambrosi, President, Air Line Pilots Association,
          International (ALPA).......................................    68
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated October 30, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Steve Morrissey,
          Vice President. International Regulatory and Policy, United
          Airlines...................................................    68
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated November 4, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Chris Spear.
          President and CEO, American Trucking Associations..........    69
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated November 3, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Christa Lucas, Vice
          President Governmental Affairs, Southwest Airlines Co......    69
        Support letter for Dan Edwards to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon.
          Maria Cantwell from Megan Ouellette, VP Public and
          Government Affairs, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines..    70
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated September 26, 2025
          to Hon. Ted Cruz from Stephen Neuman, Senior Vice
          President, Global Head of Government Affairs, American
          Airlines...................................................    71
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards and Ryan McCormack dated
          October 31, 2025 to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell
          from Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, Airports Council
          International--North America...............................    71
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated November 3, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Dave Cavossa,
          President, Commercial Space Federation.....................    72
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated October 30, 2025
          to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Michael
          Steen, Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air..................    73
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated September 3, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Steve Morrissey,
          Vice President, International Regulatory & Policy, United
          Airlines...................................................    73
        Support letter for Daniel Edwards dated September 10, 2025 to
          Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Charles E.
          Schumer from Robert C. Land, Senior Vice President for
          Government Affairs and Associate General Counsel, JetBlue
          Airways....................................................    74
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated October 29, 2025
          to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from B. Marc
          Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)    74
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated October 30, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Christopher T.
          Sununu, President and CEO, Airlines for America............    75
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated November 4, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Jeff Shockey,
          Executive Vice President, Government Operations, Global
          Public Policy & Corporate Strategy, The Boeing Company.....    75
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated October 31, 2025
          to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Lauren Beyer,
          President, Cargo Airline Association (CAA).................    76
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated August 12, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Kevin M. Burke,
          President and CEO, Airports Council International--North
          America....................................................    76
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards to Hon. Ted Cruz and
          Hon. Maria Cantwell from Fatih Ozmen, CEO, Sierra Space and
          Sierra Nevada Company, LLC.................................    77
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards to Hon. Ted Cruz and
          Hon. Maria Cantwell from Captain Jason Ambrosi, President,
          Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA)..........    78
        Support letter for Daniel J. Edwards dated September 30, 2025
          to Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Alex Wilcox,
          Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder; and Kerrie Forbes,
          Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Head of
          Government & Regulatory Affairs, JSX.......................    78
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated October 30, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from John Pepper,
          Vice President, Government Affairs and Corporate
          Development, Allegiant.....................................    79
        Support letter for Trent Morse dated October 30, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from John Pepper, Vice
          President, Government Affairs and Corporate Development,
          Allegiant..................................................    79
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated October 30, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from John Pepper, Vice
          President, Government Affairs and Corporate Development,
          Allegiant..................................................    80
        Support letter for Dan Edwards dated November 3, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Jonathon Freye,
          Executive Director, Association of Value Airlines,
          Association of Value Airlines..............................    80
        Support letter for Ryan McCormack dated November 3, 2025 to
          Hon. Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Christa Lucas,
          Vice President Governmental Affairs, Southwest Airlines Co.    81
        Support letter for Trent Morse dated October 30, 2025 to Hon.
          Ted Cruz and Hon. Maria Cantwell from Christopher T.
          Sununu, President and CEO, Airlines for America............    82
    Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     3
    Statement of Senator Blackburn...................................     4
    Statement of Senator Fischer.....................................    47
    Statement of Senator Lujan.......................................    50
    Statement of Senator Moreno......................................    53
    Statement of Senator Duckworth...................................    56
    Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    60

                                   Witnesses

    Hon. Rick Scott, U.S. Senator from Florida.......................     5
    Ryan McCormack, Nominee to be Under Secretary of Transportation
      for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation..................     8
        Prepared statement...........................................     8
        Biographical information.....................................     8
    Daniel Edwards, Nominee to be an Assistant Secretary of
      Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S.
      Department of Transportation...................................    15
        Prepared statement...........................................    16
        Biographical information.....................................    17
    Trent Morse, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors,
      Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.....................    34
        Prepared statement...........................................    35
        Biographical information.....................................    36

                                    Appendix

    Response to written questions submitted to Ryan McCormack by:
        Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    83
        Hon. Ted Budd................................................    83
        Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    83
        Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    86
        Hon. Tammy Baldwin...........................................    86
        Hon. Tammy Duckworth.........................................    88
        Hon. Ben Ray Lujan...........................................    90
    Response to written questions submitted to Daniel Edwards by:
        Hon. John Thune..............................................    90
        Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................    91
        Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    92
        Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    93
        Hon. Tammy Duckworth.........................................    94
    Response to written questions submitted to Trent Morse by:
        Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    94
        Hon. Tammy Duckworth.........................................    96
        Hon. Ben Ray Lujan...........................................    97

                     NOMINATIONS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
                     TRANSPORTATION AND THE METROPOLITAN
                        WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

                                  ----------

                          WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025

                                           U.S. Senate,
            Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m., in
    room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
        Present: Senators Cruz [presiding], Fischer, Blackburn,
    Moreno, Cantwell, Duckworth, Rosen, and Lujan.
        Also present: Senator Scott.

                  OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TED CRUZ,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM TEXAS

        Senator Cruz. Good afternoon. The Senate Committee on
    Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order.
        Before we hear from our nominees, I would like to first
    acknowledge the tragedy that occurred last night at
    Louisville's International Airport after a UPS cargo plane
    crashed soon after takeoff, tragically resulting in the loss of
    at least nine lives.
        I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families of
    the crew and others who lost their lives to this terrible
    accident.
        It is a reminder of the critical work this committee does
    to improve aviation safety, particularly this week with our two
    nominations hearings.
        Tomorrow's hearing will feature a nominee to serve as a
    board member of the National Transportation Safety Board. With
    that said, we will now proceed to the business before this
    committee and to hear from three nominees: Ryan McCormack,
    nominee to be the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy;
    Daniel Edwards, nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of
    Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs, and
    Trent Morse, nominee to serve on the Board of Directors of the
    Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
        Congratulations to each of you. All three of these nominees
    will contribute to making American transportation safe and
    efficient.
        Under the Biden-Buttigieg regime the Department of
    Transportation diverted billions of dollars toward left-wing
    initiatives--for example, by requiring states and cities to
    address pointless DEI and environmental justice criteria when
    applying for infrastructure grants or by squandering taxpayer
    money to the tune of $4 billion for California's dismal failure
    of a high-speed rail boondoggle rather than investing that
    money in fixing outdated air traffic control systems and aging
    bridges.
        Today, Secretary Duffy is working hard to refocus the
    Department on its core mission--advancing the safety,
    reliability, and efficiency of the U.S. transportation system.
        We will hear from nominees prepared to support Secretary
    Duffy's agenda. Let us begin with Mr. McCormack who was
    nominated to serve as the Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy.
        He worked in numerous positions on Capitol Hill including
    as Legislative Director for then Representative Sean Duffy--I
    am not sure what happened to him after his congressional
    career--and as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Scott
    Fitzgerald.
        Mr. McCormack also held several senior roles at the Export-
    Import Bank during the first Trump administration. Currently,
    he is Deputy Chief of Staff for Secretary Duffy at DOT.
        Mr. McCormack's experiences in both the legislative and
    executive branches give him a deep institutional knowledge
    needed to address the 40,000 annual highway fatalities, to
    streamline project permitting, and to make America a world
    leader in advanced transportation technologies such as drones
    and autonomous vehicles.
        Next, we have Dan Edwards who is nominated to be the
    Assistant Secretary of transportation at the Office for
    Aviation and International Affairs. That office is responsible
    for promoting fair competition and enforcing international
    agreements.
        He is also the Associate Administrator for airports at the
    FAA. Mr. Edwards' 30-year aviation career includes stints as a
    military pilot, a civil engineer, and in senior executive roles
    for several private aviation businesses.
        Since 2022, Mexico has been in violation of the U.S.-Mexico
    Open Skies Agreement. I look forward to hearing how Mr. Edwards
    will stand up for U.S. carriers, hold Mexico accountable, and
    promote robust competition.
        Finally, Mr. Morse has been nominated to serve as a Member
    on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority known as
    MWAA. He has served in multiple positions in the Trump
    administration, most recently as the Deputy Director for the
    Presidential Personnel Office.
        He also worked in the first Trump administration as a
    Senior Advisor at the Department of Transportation, the
    Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department
    of Health and Human Services.
        Currently, Mr. Morse serves on DOT's advisory board. I am
    glad to see that Mr. Morse shares my disdain and that of
    millions of other flyers for the glacial tank-like people
    movers at Dulles.
        It sounds like we will finally have a representative on the
    MWAA board who cares about the actual experiences of passengers
    at Reagan and Dulles.
        Thank you to each of our nominees for joining us today and
    I turn to Ranking Member Cantwell.

                   STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

        Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Again, sorry to be late. I mistakenly thought we were
    starting at 2:30. I also want to start with condolences to
    those impacted by the UPS Flight 2976.
        My heart goes out to the entire UPS organization and to the
    loved ones that they have lost and those who were injured
    yesterday evening. This is a tragic loss for aviation and
    certainly the community and citizens of Louisville.
        I also want to thank the first responders for everything
    they did last night and I thank the NTSB for their swift
    response and the FAA and look forward to their investigation
    and the development in this situation.
        I want to also thank the essential personnel continuing to
    work during the shutdown and continue to focus on getting a
    resolution to this issue and continuing to make sure the
    traveling public is safe.
        For our hearing today, as the Chairman mentioned, we have
    several nominees impacting our transportation infrastructure.
        Mr. McCormack, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Morse, thank you for being
    here. It is good to see our colleague Senator Scott, a former
    member of the Committee, with us today as well.
        Mr. McCormack, you are nominated to serve as the Under
    Secretary for Transportation, which is the number three
    position at the DOT.
        If confirmed, you would oversee policy development across
    the department and I expect you to address the administration's
    competitive grant reevaluation process. We should embrace the
    same goals of improving transportation infrastructure in this
    country without delay.
        Of significant importance is the I-5 bridge in my state
    that crosses the Columbia River. I appreciate Secretary Duffy's
    firm commitment to seeing this project completed, and while it
    is vital to the state of Washington it is also vital to the
    national economy.
        I will ask further questions about this and questions about
    the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit
    Administration, and NEPA process.
        Mr. Edwards, I believe we need an assistant secretary for
    aviation and international affairs who will help with the U.S.
    being a very strong voice at ICAO and champion efforts to raise
    global standards on aviation.
        We also need someone who will fight for fair competition in
    the airline industry that prioritizes U.S. aviation workers and
    those jobs, and I expect you that we will agree on many of
    those issues.
        I hope you will commit to continuous uninterrupted air
    service to small and rural communities that is consistent with
    the 2024 FAA reauthorization law.
        Our final nominee, Trent Morse, President Trump's pick to
    serve on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Airport
    Authority. We have already heard one discussion from my
    colleague, but that is literally my airport of choice flying in
    and out of Washington.
        So I will have questions for you about the operations of
    DCA and Dulles airports. Together, these two airports serve
    more than 53 million people each year and passenger traffic
    grew by 5.8 percent last year, and we need to continue to make
    sure that this capacity, I believe that Dulles has, to grow
    more business on an international basis.
        I would note that you left the White House recently and
    have been lobbying for American Airlines and FedEx, and I
    understand that you informed the Committee yesterday that you
    will no longer be lobbying for those companies if you accept
    this position.
        I expect to hold you accountable to those commitments and
    to avoid conflicts of interest from lobbying the board or the
    board's decisionmaking process, if confirmed.
        And finally, Mr. Chairman, I think we are still waiting to
    receive complete financial disclosure and ethics papers, so I
    would hope that we would get all that information from these
    nominees prior to a final committee process.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        I now turn to my colleague from Tennessee, Senator
    Blackburn, to introduce Mr. McCormack.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE

        Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
    congratulations to each of you. We are delighted that you are
    here and, indeed, it is an honor for me to introduce Mr.
    McCormack today.
        And I had the opportunity to first meet him and work with
    him when he was Congressman Duffy's legislative director and
    was impressed with his initiative, aptitude, his passion for
    improving the lives of Americans.
        When Ryan and I met regarding his nomination, he said that
    safety is at the forefront of his work, and I know that he
    prioritizes protecting and saving lives and that his drive has
    only strengthened since he now has a family of his own. Two
    beautiful daughters and his wonderful wife are here and I hear
    the girls are quiet over there.
        Ryan began his career in public service right after
    graduating from college. He has held nearly every job on
    Capitol Hill from Intern all the way to Chief of Staff.
        He achieved greater responsibility on the Hill because of
    his intellect and his genuine care for the constituents that he
    worked to support, also because he had that good, strong, solid
    work ethic.
        For more than a decade Ryan worked on transportation issues
    critical to Wisconsin and the country. He also served in the
    first Trump administration as Chief of Staff at the Export-
    Import Bank, working tirelessly to reform the institution.
        Following President Trump's reelection last fall, Ryan
    again answered the call to serve as Secretary Duffy's Deputy
    Chief of Staff at DOT.
        In his current role, he has supported Secretary Duffy in
    executing on President Trump's agenda including the
    modernization of the Nation's air traffic control system and
    addressing air traffic controller staffing shortages.
        Because of his efforts to close coordinate with the FAA,
    the hiring process for air traffic controllers shortened by 5
    months, ensuring that candidates who performed best on their
    aptitude test were seated at the academy quickly.
        The result speaks for itself. Fiscal Year 2025 saw more
    candidates go through the academy than any other fiscal year
    before.
        Ryan has also prioritized smart regulations that enable
    innovators to compete and succeed. He has worked to accelerate
    the use of advanced air mobility, make transit safer, and
    continue investments in safety technologies that keep the U.S.
    ahead of adversaries like China.
        I cannot stress enough how important it is that after
    natural disasters the Department shows up to assess damage and
    promptly begin rebuilding what has been damaged or lost. Under
    this administration the department has done exactly that.
        The Secretary committed his team at DOT to speed up the
    delivery of Federal assistance on the I-40 rebuild and Ryan has
    been a key part of that effort.
        The culmination of his years of experience and dedication
    make him a key voice within the Department of Transportation.
    He is eminently qualified to serve as Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy and I am so honored to introduce him
    today.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        I will now turn to our colleague from the Sunshine State,
    Senator Scott. Welcome back to the Commerce Committee, and
    Senator Scott is here to introduce Mr. Morse.

                     STATEMENT OF HON. RICK SCOTT,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA

        Senator Scott. All right. Thank you, Chairman Cruz, Ranking
    Member Cantwell. It is nice to be here, members of the
    Committee. You two do a great job. Congratulations on all the
    success getting bills through the Committee at least. Harder on
    the floor.
        It is an honor to sit before you today to introduce Mr.
    Trent Morse to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
    Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.
        I have known Trent for many years. In 2010 when I first ran
    for Governor nobody knew me. He was a student at Florida State
    University. He worked as an unpaid volunteer during my first
    campaign for Governor of Florida when nobody would show up.
        After helping me win my first gubernatorial race, he became
    an intern in our external affairs office, working his way up to
    his first full time job while he was still a full time college
    student.
        He did a great job in the Governor's office. He cared about
    the success of Florida and he did all he could to make
    everybody around him a success.
        Over the years I have gotten to see him continue to grow in
    his professional career. Like I always told my team when I was
    Governor, they are clearly the legacy of any Governor.
        It makes me proud to see Trent and so many members of my
    team have successful careers and do incredible things with
    their life. Trent's success is a great example of that. He was
    a critical member of the President's campaign.
        He had a leading role in the successful RNC convention and
    he most recently worked closely with President Trump to find
    great people to serve in the administration.
        He did a phenomenal job helping the President find people
    to help implement his agenda as the Deputy Director for the
    White House Presidential Personnel Office.
        Throughout his career Trent has proven he is a capable
    leader and has the ability to build teams, foster
    accountability, make decisions that prioritize long-term
    success, and I can personally speak to his work ethic and
    professionalism over the years.
        I urge this committee to fully consider and support his
    nomination. I look forward to his nomination vote on the Senate
    floor, and thank you again, Trent. Good luck.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you, Senator Scott, and you have
    clearly had a significant impact on his career, so much so that
    he has chosen to emulate your hairstyle.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Scott. [Off mic.]
        Senator Cruz. I now recognize Mr. McCormack for his opening
    statement.

               STATEMENT OF RYAN McCORMACK, NOMINEE TO BE

             UNDER SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION FOR POLICY,

                   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

        Mr. McCormack. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the
    Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you
    today as you consider my nomination for the position of Under
    Secretary of Transportation for Policy.
        I am grateful to President Trump for his trust in
    nominating me for this role, to Senator Blackburn for that kind
    introduction, and to Secretary Duffy for his faith and support
    every step of the way.
        I also want to introduce and thank my family who are here
    with me today. My wife Anna is here. Anna and I have been
    together for nearly 13 years and she too is a public servant,
    currently entering her fourteenth year as staff in the House of
    Representatives. We share two beautiful children together ages
    three and one, both of whom are here with us today, too.
        At the Department of Transportation our mantra is safety.
    It is at the forefront of all the work we do and we take our
    obligation very seriously.
        For myself, I have always understood that the stakes in
    transportation are high, but even still, early into our tenure
    we received a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our
    public duty.
        As you all know, on January 29 of this year, American
    Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter
    collided over the Potomac River. Sixty-seven lives were lost
    that night.
        Secretary Duffy and I were on scene in the immediate
    aftermath. Seeing families grieve unimaginable loss is
    something I will never forget.
        I also want to take a moment for us to reflect on other
    families going through tragedy today. My thoughts and prayers
    go to the families of yesterday's fatal plane crash near
    Louisville International Airport.
        We now know that nine people have lost their lives and many
    others are injured. I appreciate the efforts of first
    responders, many of whom have worked through the night.
    Although the cause is not yet known, both the FAA and NTSB are
    onsite and investigating.
        It is critical we do right by Americans traversing the
    Nation's roadways, railways, and skies by continuing to put
    safety first in all that we do. If confirmed, I will be devoted
    to this purpose and will pay particular attention to further
    reducing highway fatalities.
        The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently
    released early estimates for motor vehicle traffic fatalities
    in the first half of 2025, forecasting an 8.2 percent reduction
    in roadway deaths from 2024.
        These preliminary figures are encouraging, but even still
    there is more we can and will do to reduce fatalities further.
        Whether it be from new technology, accelerated project
    delivery, or cracking down on bad actors on our roads, we must
    be comprehensive in our approach and let safety be our guide.
        I am incredibly fortunate to serve in the Department of
    Transportation at such a pivotal time when so many advancements
    are being made in technology that will allow for safer and more
    efficient transportation.
        Never before have people and goods moved in such varied
    ways. We are at the advent of advanced air mobility, autonomous
    vehicle deployment, drone delivery, and we expect the next 5
    years we will see 1,000 commercial space launches, the same
    number of all space launches combined over the last 40 years.
        If confirmed, I will work to continue these important
    efforts. To foster innovation and technological advancement, I
    would advance effective regulations that enable further
    innovation and maintain U.S. leadership in this critical area.
        I commit to accelerating project delivery and removing
    barriers that grant applicants face when accessing Federal
    resources. In particular, I would like to work with this
    committee and the Congress on simplifying and streamlining
    grant programs.
        There are more than 100 grant programs within the
    Department, all with variable eligibility criteria,
    inconsistent definitions, different announcement and awarding
    procedures, and overlapping focus areas that make the process
    overly complex for applicants to apply and career staff to
    process.
        In addition, the systems utilized for tracking grant
    applications are cumbersome, complex, redundant, and opaque.
    Applicants do not know the status of their grant at various
    stages of obligation and I would work to ensure the Department
    is more transparent with applicants.
        If confirmed as under secretary of transportation I look
    forward to working with Secretary Duffy, President Trump, and
    members of this committee to make our world-class
    transportation infrastructure for America.
        Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions.
        [The prepared statement and biographical information of Mr.
    McCormack follow:]

    Prepared Statement of Ryan McCormack, Nominee to be Under Secretary of
          Transportation for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation
        Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the
    Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as
    you consider my nomination for the position of Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy.
        I am grateful to President Trump for his trust in nominating me for
    this role, to Senator Blackburn for that kind introduction, and to
    Secretary Duffy for his faith and support every step of the way.
        I also want to introduce and thank my family who are here with me
    today. My wife Anna is here--Anna and I have been together for nearly
    thirteen years, and she too is a public servant, currently entering her
    14th year as staff in the House of Representatives. We share two
    beautiful children together ages 3 and 1, both of whom are here with us
    today too.
        At the Department of Transportation, our mantra is ``safety.'' It
    is at the forefront of all the work we do, and we take our obligation
    very seriously.
        For myself, I always have understood that the stakes in
    transportation are high. But even still, early into our tenure we
    received a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our public duty.
        As you all know, on January 29th of this year at DCA when American
    Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter collided over
    the Potomac River. Sixty-seven lives were lost that night. Secretary
    Duffy and I were on scene in the immediate aftermath. Seeing families
    grieve unimaginable loss is something I will never forget.
        It is critical we do right by Americans traversing the Nation's
    roadways, railways, and skies by continuing to put safety first in all
    that we do. If confirmed I will be devoted to this purpose and will pay
    particular attention to further reducing highway fatalities.
        The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently
    released early estimates for motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the
    first half of 2025, forecasting an 8.2 percent reduction in roadways
    deaths from 2024. These preliminary figures are encouraging, but even
    still, there is more we can and will do to reduce highway fatalities
    further. Whether it be from new technology, accelerated project
    delivery, or cracking down on bad actors on our roads, we must be
    comprehensive in our approach and let safety be our guide.
        I am incredibly fortunate to serve at the Department of
    Transportation at such a pivotal time when so many advancements are
    being made in technology that will allow for safer and more efficient
    transportation. Never before have people and goods moved in such varied
    ways. We are at the advent of advanced air mobility, autonomous vehicle
    deployment, drone delivery, and we expect the next five years will see
    1,000 commercial space launches--the same number of all space launches
    combined over the last 40 years. If confirmed, I will work to continue
    these important efforts.
        To foster innovation and technological advancement, I would advance
    effective regulations that enable further innovation and maintain U.S.
    leadership in this critical area.
        I commit to accelerating project delivery and removing barriers
    that grant applicants face when accessing Federal resources. In
    particular, I would like to work with this Committee and the Congress
    on simplifying and streamlining grant programs. There are more than 100
    grant programs within the Department, all with variable eligibility
    criteria, inconsistent definitions, different announcement and awarding
    procedures, and overlapping focus areas that make the process overly
    complex for applicants to apply and career staff to process.
        In addition, the systems utilized for tracking grant applicants are
    cumbersome, complex, redundant and opaque. Applicants do not know the
    status of their grant at various stages of obligation and I would work
    to ensure the Department is more transparent with applicants.
        If confirmed as Under Secretary of the Department of
    Transportation, I look forward to working with Secretary Duffy,
    President Trump, and Members of this Committee to make our world-class
    transportation and infrastructure for America.
        Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions.
                                     ______

                          a. biographical information
        l. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Ryan James
    McCormack.
        2. Position to which nominated: Undersecretary of Transportation
    for Policy.
        3. Date of Nomination: 09/03/25.
        4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

            Residence: Information not released to the public.
            Office: Information not provided.

        5. Date and Place of Birth: Information not provided.
        6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your
    spouse (if married) or domestic partner, and the names and ages of your
    children (including stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).

            Anna Raquel McCormack (wife)--Chief of Staff: U.S. House of
            Representatives

        7. List all college and graduate schools attended, whether or not
    you were granted a degree by the institution. Provide the name of the
    institution, the dates attended, the degree received, and the date of
    the degree.

       B.A., Political Science, International Relations, and
            European Studies, Canisius University (2007-2011)

       Finger Lakes Community College (2010)*

        *Attended summer classes and transferred credits to Canisius
    University.
        8. List all post-undergraduate employment, including the job title,
    name of employer, and inclusive dates of employment, and highlight all
    management-level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to
    the position for which you are nominated.

       Intern, New York State Assembly (05/2011-08/2011)

       Intern, U.S. House of Representatives (02/2012-06/2012)

       Site Advance, Romney for President (08/2012-11/2012)

       Speaker Liaison, Conservative Political Action Conference
            (02/2013-03/2013)

       Intern, U.S. House of Representatives (04/2013-07/2013)

       Legislative Correspondent, U.S. House of Representatives
            (07/2013-05/2015)*

       Legislative Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives (05/
            2015-0l/2017)*

       Senior Legislative Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives
            (Ol/2017-04/2017)*

       Legislative Director, U.S. House of Representatives (05/
            2017-11/2019)*

       Campaign Manager, Duffy for Wisconsin (01/2018-12/2018)*

         Went on leave without pay from Legislative Director
                position during campaign.

       Deputy Chief of Staff, Export-Import Bank. of the United
            States (11/2019-09/2020)*

       Chief of Staff: Export-Import Bank of the United States (09/
            2020-0 l/2021)*

       Chief of Staff, U.S. House of Representatives (01/2021-01/
            2025)*

       Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Transportation
            (01/2025-Present)*

        * Denotes job with managerial and/or transportation policy
    experience

        9. Attach a copy of your resume.
        Please see Attachment #1.
        10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time
    service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other
    than those listed above after 18 years of age. None.
        11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee,
    partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any
    corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise,
    educational, or other institution. None.
        12. List all memberships you have had after 18 years of age or
    currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, educational,
    political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or religiously
    affiliated organization, private club, or other membership organization
    (You do not have to list your religious affiliation or membership in a
    religious house of worship or institution). Include dates of membership
    and any positions you have held with any organization. Please note
    whether any such club or organization restricts membership on the basis
    of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

            Capitol Hill Club, Member (2021 to present)

            House Chiefs of Staff Association (2023-2025)

            Republicans Associated for Mutual Support (2024 to present)

            CJ. Folger Hook & Ladder Company (2008 to present)

        None of these groups restrict membership on the basis of race, sex,
    color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
        13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office
    (elected, non-elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any
    campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are
    personally liable for that debt. No.
        14. List all memberships and offices held with and services
    rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or
    election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid
    position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether
    compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years,
    identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year
    of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities.

       Campaign Manager--Duffy for Wisconsin (2018)-As campaign
            manager, I was responsible for overall campaign strategy as
            well as fundraising, advertising, grassroots engagement, and
            voter outreach.

       Volunteer Member of Trump Vance Transition, Inc. (2024-
            2025)--As a volunteer for the transition, I consulted on policy
            as it pertained to the Export-Import Bank of the United States
            and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

        15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign
    organization, political party, political action committee, or similar
    entity of $200 or more for the past ten years.

       $516.53, Trump 47 Committee, July 8, 2024

        16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary
    society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition
    for outstanding service or achievements.

       2020--Distinguished Service Award, Export-Import Bank of the
            United States

        17. List all books, articles, columns, letters to the editor,
    Internet blog postings, or other publications you have authored,
    individually or with others. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    publication when available. None.
        18. List all speeches, panel discussions, and presentations (e.g.,
    PowerPoint) that you have given on topics relevant to the position for
    which you have been nominated. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    speech or presentation when available.

       Not applicable.

        19. List all public statements you have made during the past ten
    years, including statements in news articles and radio and podcasts and
    television appearances, which are on topics relevant to the position
    for which you have been nominated, including dates. Include a link to
    each statement when possible. If a link is not available, provide a
    digital copy of the statement when available.

            Caroline Kitchener, The MTV Reality Star in Trump's Cabinet Who
            Wants You to Have More Kids, The New York Times (June 25,
            2025).

        20. List all digital platforms (including social media and other
    digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated
    an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your
    name or an alias. Include the full name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'',
    including the complete URL and username with hyperlinks, you have used
    on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account is active,
    deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if possible.

            www.x.com/McCormack_R (active)

            www.instagram.com/ryan.mccormackl (active)

            https://truthsocial.com/@McCormack_Ryan (active)

            www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmccormack4 (active)

            http://www.facebook.com/rian.maccormyck (dormant)

        21. Please identify each instance in which you have testified
    orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
    governmental capacity and specify the date, committee, and subject
    matter of each testimony. None.
        22. Given the current mission, major programs, and major
    operational objectives of the department/agency/commission/corporation
    to which you have been nominated, what in your background or employment
    experience do you believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment
    to the position for which you have been nominated, and why do you wish
    to serve in that position?
        For more than a decade in Federal service,] have advised principals
    on transportation policy matters and directed teams to achieve
    strategic policy objectives. This includes time in various staff roles
    in the House of Representatives, the Export-Import Bank of the United
    States, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
        In the House of Representatives, I advised on transportation policy
    for Members of Congress, to include multiple FAA Reauthorizations,
    Surface Transportation Reauthorizations, Water Resources Reform and
    Development Acts, and Pipeline Safety Reauthorizations. In addition, I
    worked to prioritize local and regional transportation concerns
    relevant to the Member's district, and identifying and advocating for
    funding opportunities offered by the Department of Transportation.
        As SVP and Chief of Staff at the Export-Import Bank of the United
    States (EXIM), I was the principal advisor to the Chairman on matters
    pertaining to policy and the EXIM portfolio. The top two sectors within
    the portfolio being transportation and infrastructure, respectively. In
    addition to policy, I further managed and led the 515 employees and
    contractors in our mission to support American jobs by facilitating
    exports, while also prioritizing EXIM's $110 million budget.
        In my current role as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department
    of Transportation, I advise on a broad range of policy relevant to this
    position. Today, we are seeing unprecedented innovations in
    transportation that have the potential to greatly improve safety and
    efficiency in the sector--fundamentally changing the way people and
    goods move in our economy. We have great oppo1tunity to improve safety,
    reduce project costs, streamline permitting, and deliver infrastructure
    that improves the way American families move about the country.
        23. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to
    ensure that the department/agency/commission/corporation has proper
    management and accounting controls, and what experience do you have in
    managing a large organization?
        If confirmed, my responsibilities will be to assist the Secretary
    of Transportation in carrying out the policies of the President of the
    United States, while exercising statutory authorities of the
    Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy. In my current and previous
    roles in government, I have served as a chief policy advisor and senior
    manager, establishing short and long-term plans to achieve
    organizational objectives. I have been Chief of Staff both at EXIM, a
    515-person organization, as well as in the House of Representatives.
        24. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the
    department/agency/commission/corporation, and why?

        1) Reduce Highway Fatalities.

       As a leader at the U.S. Department of Transportation, my top
            priority is keeping Americans safe on our roads. Far too many
            lives are lost every year in preventable crashes-and that has
            to change. Under this administration, we're focused on
            delivering real results, cutting through red tape, and putting
            the safety of the American people first. I will identify and
            support innovative technologies, smarter infrastructure, and
            common-sense policies that make our roads safer.

        2) Overly complex grant programs and permitting requirements that
    create uncertainty and raise costs for applicants.

       There are over 100 different grant programs within the
            Department, these programs have variable eligibility criteria,
            inconsistent definitions, announcement and awarding procedures,
            and overlapping focus areas that make the process overly
            complex for both applicants and career staff In addition, the
            systems utilized for tracking grant applications are
            cumbersome, complex, redundant, and opaque. Applicants often do
            not know the status of their grant at the various stages of
            obligation. Combined, these issues can undermine the ability of
            applicants to efficiently access Federal resources.

       Permitting must be streamlined in order to reduce costs and
            hasten the deployment of infrastructure. Bureaucratic red tape
            needlessly delays projects while also increasing the cost.
            There appears to be bipartisan consensus this is a significant
            concern and it is critical that both the Congress and
            Department take steps to ensure complex or redundant processes
            do not hinder the country's ability to develop world-class
            infrastructure.

        3) Regulation of Innovative Technologies in Transportation.

       From drones to autonomous vehicles, there are many
            innovative technologies emerging in transportation that have
            the capacity to fundamentally change the way people and goods
            move in our economy. The Department needs to continue leading
            the way by fostering a regulatory environment that prioritizes
            safety while also encouraging experimentation and growth.
                       b. potential conflicts of interest
        1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation
    agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates,
    clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement
    accounts, such as a 40I(k) or pension plan.
        My retirement accounts are the Thrift Savings Plan as well as a
    Roth IRA I opened. I do not have any further financial arrangements,
    deferred compensation agreements, or business dealings to report.
        2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal,
    to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business,
    association, or other organization during your appointment? If so,
    please explain. No.
        3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other
    relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in
    the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will
    resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the DOT Designated Agency Ethics
    Official to identify any potential conflicts of interest. Any potential
    conflicts of interest will continue to be resolved in accordance with
    the te1ms of an ethics agreement that I have entered into with the
    Department's Designated Agency Ethics Official and that has been
    provided to this Committee. I am not aware of any potential conflicts
    of interest.
        4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial
    transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for
    yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in
    any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the
    position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve
    each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's
    Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts
    of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be
    resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I
    have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics
    Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware
    of any other potential conflicts of interest.
        5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest and explain
    how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's
    Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts
    of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be
    resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I
    have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics
    Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware
    of any other potential conflicts of interest.
        6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the
    names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the
    purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or
    modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and
    execution of law or public policy.
        I have never been engaged by a client to influence legislation. In
    my current and past roles with the Federal government, I do advise and
    make recommendations on legislation as part of my job responsibilities.
                                c. legal matters
        1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics,
    professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a
    complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special
    Counsel, an Inspector General, professional association, disciplinary
    committee, or other professional group? If yes:

      a.  Provide the name of the court, agency, association, committee, or
            group;

      b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action was issued or initiated;

      c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action;

      d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action,
            complaint, or personnel action.

        No.
        2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by
    any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal,
    State, county, municipal, or foreign government entity, other than for
    a minor traffic offense? If so, please explain. No.
        3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were
    an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency
    proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please
    explain. No.
        4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo
    contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic
    offense? If so, please explain. No.
        5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual
    assault, sexual harassment, or discrimination on the basis of sex,
    race, religion, or any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
        6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information,
    favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in
    connection with your nomination. None.
                         d. relationship with committee
        1. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation complies with deadlines for information set by
    congressional committees, and that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation endeavors to timely comply with requests for information
    from individual Members of Congress, including requests from members in
    the minority? Yes.
        2. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation does whatever it can to protect congressional witnesses and
    whistleblowers from reprisal for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
        3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested
    witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with
    firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
        4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly
    constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be
    reasonably requested to do so? Yes.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        I now recognize Mr. Edwards for his opening statement. Mr.
    Edwards.

               STATEMENT OF DANIEL EDWARDS, NOMINEE TO BE

                AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

                FOR AVIATION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,

                   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

        Mr. Edwards. Thank you, Chairman.
        Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the
    Committee, good afternoon. My name is Dan Edwards and it is
    truly my honor to be nominated as the Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs at the United States
    Department of Transportation.
        I want to start by thanking President Trump for the honor
    of nomination and Secretary Sean Duffy for the confidence and
    steadfast support during my time at DOT.
        Joining me today is my wife of 30 years and anchor to the
    Edwards family, Kimberly. I owe the Air Force a huge debt for
    stationing me near her hometown of Utica, New York, where we
    met and began a life where she thought she had signed on to a
    turbulent, free, full-motion simulator ride, but in reality got
    strapped into a high-G journey with an uncertain destination. I
    am so blessed to have her by my side.
        Also, here are my identical twin 27-year-old daughters
    Jillian and Kaelin. They were born on July 4th in Camden, New
    Jersey, into a Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit, the
    highest level of critical care, and to this day they follow the
    light.
        When they were 16, they enlisted the help of their
    grandfather Earl, who was an accountant, to start a nonprofit
    called Jillian's Jitterbug. The organization continues to
    provide financial assistance for families to purchase equipment
    that allows their disabled children to become independent.
        Last, I am joined by my brother Colonel Doug Edwards, and
    his wife and son Joy and Ethan, without whom my service in
    Washington would not be possible.
        And one late addition, I am honored to have the CEO of the
    Association of Graduates from the Air Force Academy here today,
    Mr. Mark Hilley.
        I began my public service in 1987 when I attended the
    United States Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force and
    Air Force Reserve for 23 years. In that time, I was an airfield
    engineer and a KC-10 pilot, flying over 100 combat missions.
    During my time in the reserves, I flew as a commercial pilot
    and accumulated over 4,000 hours as both a military and
    commercial pilot.
        Following my time as an Air Force and airline pilot, I
    dedicated the next 25 years of my career to the aerospace and
    defense industry.
        This experience allowed me to gain a broad understanding
    spanning product development, safety, airfield engineering and
    construction, C4 ISR, supply chain and distribution, and
    aircraft maintenance.
        I am eager to apply those skills of public service and
    contribute to the next big leap in aviation. I have found my
    time in DOT over the last 6 months professionally rewarding,
    given the broad and profound impact of our work.
        If confirmed, serving as the Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs would represent the apex of
    my career, and it is my intent to demonstrate my fitness to do
    so today in this hearing. I humbly thank you for your time and
    consideration.
        I believe we find ourselves at a pivotal time in aviation.
    Just 60 years passed between the Wright Brothers' first flight
    in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and John Glenn's orbit around
    the Earth.
        We are 63 years removed from that first orbit, and with the
    advent of advanced air mobility we are sitting on the next
    inflection point in aviation history.
        Safety is paramount. Takeoffs and landings must remain in
    balance. That has always been my mantra. In my youth that
    mantra was focused on me, my logbook, my personal commitment to
    safety. Later, my focus turned to others--wingmen, those under
    my command, those in my airline.
        Now my work in DOT and FAA expands the focus much more
    broadly to our national aerospace system. One landing for every
    takeoff, period. In that context today, my heart goes out to
    our UPS family and those first responders that supported the
    horrific events last evening.
        If confirmed, I would continue to work under Secretary
    Duffy's leadership to continue the Department's core mission of
    ensuring transportation safety, especially in America's skies.
        While maintaining safety as the most important goal, I will
    pursue three additional key goals: one, ensuring the economic
    viability of U.S. carriers through thoughtful economic
    licensing, development and enforcement of international
    agreements, and access to a competition-friendly market; two,
    supporting the development of infrastructure that will meet the
    dynamic needs of the American economy and commercializing new
    technologies to ensure U.S. aviation leadership; and perhaps
    most importantly, three, sustaining and enhancing access to
    commercial air service for all Americans.
        I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead large
    organizations in the military and private sectors, gaining
    extensive experience leading multi-site global businesses. I am
    hopeful that you will find the path that I have taken to this
    chamber on this day worthy of confirmation to serve in the
    Department of Transportation.
        Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement and biographical information of Mr.
    Edwards follow:]

    Prepared Statement of Daniel Edwards, Nominee to be Assistant Secretary
    of Aviation & International Affairs, U. S. Department of Transportation
        Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the
    committee, good afternoon.
        My name is Dan Edwards, and it is truly my honor to be nominated as
    the Assistant Secretary of Aviation & International Affairs for the
    United States Department of Transportation.
        I want to start by thanking President Trump for the honor of
    nomination and Secretary Sean Duffy for the confidence and steadfast
    support during my time at DOT. Senator Budd, I greatly appreciate the
    kind introduction and your service to the great state of North
    Carolina.
        Joining me today is my wife of 30 years and anchor to the Edwards
    family--Kimberly. I owe the Air Force a huge debt for stationing me
    near her hometown of Utica, NY where we met and began a life where she
    thought she signed on to a turbulence-free full-motion simulator ride,
    but instead got strapped into a high-G journey with an uncertain
    destination.
        Also here are my identical twin 27-year-old daughters--Jillian and
    Kaelyn. They were born on July 4th in Camden, NJ into a level IV
    Neonatal Intensive Care Unit--the highest level of critical care--and
    to this day follow the light. When they were 16, they enlisted the help
    of their grandfather, Earl, who was an accountant, to start a non-
    profit called Jillian's Jitterbug. The organization continues to
    provide financial assistance for families to purchase equipment that
    allows their disabled children to become independent. Lastly, I am
    joined by my brother, Colonel Doug Edwards, and his wife and son, Joy
    and Ethan--without whom my service in Washington would not be possible.
        I began my public service in 1987 when I attended the United States
    Air Force Academy and served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves
    for 23 years. In that time, I was an airfield engineer, and a KC-10
    pilot, flying over 100 combat missions. During my time in the reserves,
    I flew as a commercial pilot and accumulated over 4,000 flight hours as
    both a military and commercial pilot.
        Following my time as an Air Force and airline pilot, I dedicated
    the next 25 years of my career to the aerospace and defense industry.
    This experience allowed me to gain a broad understanding spanning
    product development, safety, airfield engineering and construction,
    C4ISR, supply chain and distribution, and aircraft maintenance. I am
    eager to apply those skills to public service and contribute to the
    next big leap in aviation.
        I have found my time at DOT over the last 6 months professionally
    rewarding given the broad and profound impact of our work. If
    confirmed, serving as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs would represent the apex of my career, and it is
    my intent to demonstrate my fitness to do so today in this hearing. I
    humbly thank you for your time and consideration.
        I believe we find ourselves at a pivotal time in Aviation. 60 years
    passed between the Wright Brothers' first flight in Kitty Hawk, NC and
    John Glenn's orbit around Earth. We are 63 years removed from that
    first orbit and, with the advent of Advanced Air Mobility, we are
    sitting on the next inflection point in aviation history.
        Safety is paramount. Takeoffs and landings must remain in balance.
    If confirmed, I would continue to work, under Secretary Duffy's
    leadership, to continue the department's core mission of ensuring
    transportation safety--especially in America's skies.
        While maintaining safety, as the most important goal, I will pursue
    three additional key goals: (1) ensuring the economic viability of U.S.
    carriers through thoughtful economic licensing, development and
    enforcement of international agreements and access to a competition-
    friendly market; (2) supporting the development of infrastructure that
    will meet the dynamic needs of the American economy and commercializing
    new technologies to ensure U.S. aviation leadership; and, perhaps most
    importantly, (3) sustaining and enhancing access to commercial air
    service for all Americans.
        I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead large
    organizations in the military and private sectors, gaining extensive
    experience leading multi-site global businesses. I am hopeful that you
    will find that the path I've taken to this chamber, on this day, worthy
    of confirmation to serve in the DOT.
        Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
                                     ______

                          a. biographical information
        1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Daniel Joseph
    Edwards.
        2. Position to which nominated: Assistant Secretary for Aviation
    and International Affairs.
        3. Date of Nomination: 7/30/25.
        4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

            Residence: Information not released to the public.
            Office: Information not provided.

        5. Date and Place of Birth: Information not provided.
        6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your
    spouse (if married) or domestic partner, and the names and ages of your
    children (including stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).

            Kimberly A. Edwards (Not employed)
            Children: Jillian Rose Edwards (age 27), Kaelyn Mary Edwards
            (age 27)

        7. List all college and graduate schools attended, whether or not
    you were granted a degree by the institution. Provide the name of the
    institution, the dates attended, the degree received, and the date of
    the degree.

            B. S. Civil Engineering, USAF Academy (1987-1991)

            MBA, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1992-1994)

            MBA/Finance Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2011-
            2013)

        8. List all post-undergraduate employment, including the job title,
    name of employer, and inclusive dates of employment, and highlight all
    management-level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to
    the position for which you are nominated.
        All positions in bold indicate management level jobs.

       Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
            International Affairs, Department of Transportation (July 2025
            to present)*

       Acting Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International
            Affairs (May-July 2025)

       Chief Executive Officer, Elliott Aviation (2023-2024)

       Various positions, Triman Industries (2020-2023)

         Chief Executive Officer (2021-2023)

         President (2020-2021)

       Vice President of Operations, MAG Aerospace (2017- 2020)

       General Manager of Components and Alternate Solutions,
            Aviation Technical Services (2016-July 2017)

       Various positions, Zodiac Aerospace (2004-2016)

         President, Zodiac Arresting Systems (2013-2016)

         Vice President of Installation, Maintenance, Repair,
                and Overhaul Services (2008-2013)

         Director of Engineering (2006-2008)

         Director of Project Engineering and Standards (2004-
                2006)

       Vice President of Construction, Sprinturf (2002-2003)

       Pilot, American Airlines (2000-2004)

       Various positions, United States Air Force (KC-10 Pilot and
            Civil Engineer) (1991-2014)

         Deputy Operations Group Commander, U.S. Air Force
                Reserve Command (USAFR) (2012-2014)

         KC-10 Squadron Commander, USAFR (2009-2012)

         KC-10 Instructor Pilot, USAFR (2000-2009)

         Pilot and Civil Engineer, USAFR (1991-2000)

        * As of Oct. 20, 2025, also acting in the capacity as Associate
    Administrator for Airports at the Federal Aviation Administration.
        9. Attach a copy of your resume.
        Resume attached below.
        10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time
    service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other
    than those listed above after 18 years of age.

            Air Reserve Technician (ART), 78th Air Refueling Squadron (June
            2000-October 2000)

        11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee,
    partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any
    corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise,
    educational, or other institution.

            Aero X Ventures, Board Member (former)

            Red Arts Capital, Advisory Board Member (former)

            Triman Industries: CEO/Director (former)

            Elliott Aviation: CEO/Director (former)

            DJ Edwards Services, LLC (Sole owner/inactive)

            USAF Academy Falcon Foundation (trustee/current)

            Jillian's Jitterbug (board member/current)

            My Future North Carolina (advisory council member/current)

            Islander Villas Home Owner's Association (board member/current)

            Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation, Orthopedics
            Board of Visitors (board member/current)

        12. List all memberships you have had after 18 years of age or
    currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, educational,
    political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or religiously
    affiliated organization, private club, or other membership organization
    (You do not have to list your religious affiliation or membership in a
    religious house of worship or institution). Include dates of membership
    and any positions you have held with any organization. Please note
    whether any such club or organization restricts membership on the basis
    of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

            Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA (2013 to present)

            Union League, Philadelphia, PA (2016)

            Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Philadelphia Chapter
            (2016-2019)

            Country Club of North Carolina, Pinehurst, NC (2018 to present)

        13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office
    (elected, non-elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any
    campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are
    personally liable for that debt. No.
        14. List all memberships and offices held with and services
    rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or
    election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid
    position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether
    compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years,
    identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year
    of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities. None.
        15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign
    organization, political party, political action committee, or similar
    entity of $200 or more for the past ten years. None.
        16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary
    society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition
    for outstanding service or achievements.

       Post 9/11 GI Bill

       USAF Medals

         Meritorious Service Medal (3)

         Air Medal

         Aerial Achievement Medal

         Air Force Commendation Medal (2)

         Air Force Achieve Medal (2)

         Combat Readiness Medal

         National Defense Service Medal

         Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

         Afghanistan Medal

         Iraq Campaign Medal

         Terrorism Service Medal

         Humanitarian Service Medal

         Armed Forces Reserve Medal

        17. List all books, articles, columns, letters to the editor,
    Internet blog postings, or other publications you have authored,
    individually or with others. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    publication when available. None.
        18. List all speeches, panel discussions, and presentations (e.g.,
    PowerPoint) that you have given on topics relevant to the position for
    which you have been nominated. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    speech or presentation when available.

       Speech, U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) (6/4/25)

         Digital copy attached (Attachment A).

       Presentation, Newark Delay Reduction Meeting (5/15/25)

         [No link or digital records found for speech.]

       Speech, AUVSI Keynote (7/29/25)

         Digital copy attached (Attachment B).

        19. List all public statements you have made during the past ten
    years, including statements in news articles and radio and podcasts and
    television appearances, which are on topics relevant to the position
    for which you have been nominated, including dates. Include a link to
    each statement when possible. If a link is not available, provide a
    digital copy of the statement when available.

       MRO Is a Fun Business: Weaving Efficiency with Legacy at
            Elliot Aviation, Aerospace Executive Podcast (01/25/24)

        20. List all digital platforms (including social media and other
    digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated
    an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your
    name or an alias. Include the full name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'',
    including the complete URL and username with hyperlinks, you have used
    on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account is active,
    deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if possible.

            LinkedIn (Active)

        21. Please identify each instance in which you have testified
    orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
    governmental capacity and specify the date, committee, and subject
    matter of each testimony. None.
        22. Given the current mission, major programs, and major
    operational objectives of the department/agency/commission/corporation
    to which you have been nominated, what in your background or employment
    experience do you believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment
    to the position for which you have been nominated, and why do you wish
    to serve in that position?

       I have a diverse aviation industry background that uniquely
            qualifies me to provide strong leadership to facilitate
            impactful decisions that are quantitatively driven, fiscally
            sound, and address the needs of the stakeholders we serve.

       I started as an airfield civil engineer in the USAF and
            continued as a KC-10 pilot affording me an opportunity to serve
            in combat and garner worldwide operational aviation experience.
            I also flew international routes for American Airlines, an
            experience which provides valuable commercial perspective.

       I have vast experience working as an engineer innovating and
            commercializing nascent technologies. I worked closely with the
            FAA Tech Center in the approval of a product that is now
            protecting over 100 runways in the U.S. and internationally.
            EMAS (Engineered Material Arresting System) addressed a long-
            standing NTSB ``Top 10'' priority on runway excursions. My
            experience has prepared me well for the generational
            opportunity we face in integrating Advanced Air Mobility
            technologies and operations into the NAS.

       I have had the valuable experience of working
            collaboratively with international organizations. I worked very
            closely with NATO, multiple European nations, and the Japanese
            Defense Ministry in the modernization of their military
            airfields and incorporating USAF-compliant aircraft arresting
            gear to support 5th generation fighter aircraft operations. I
            also successfully negotiated a rulemaking effort with CAA (in
            parallel with a similar effort at FAA) to incorporate the
            technology and research associated the aircraft braking system
            patent I had obtained.

       The breadth of my experience spans leadership roles across
            aerospace and defense to include commercial aircraft MRO
            (maintenance, repair, and overhaul), C4ISR, distribution and
            supply chain and biz aircraft MRO. As a result, I bring a broad
            perspective to the role of Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
            International affairs that is grounded in safety, operational
            performance, and the industry economic depth that comes from
            years of experience leading growth and M&A (mergers and
            acquisitions) in a variety of businesses in public and
            privately held companies.

        23. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to
    ensure that the department/agency/commission/corporation has proper
    management and accounting controls, and what experience do you have in
    managing a large organization?

       If confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
            International Affairs, it will be my responsibility to assist
            the Secretary of Transportation in carrying out the directions,
            policies, and priorities of the President of the United States
            and to properly manage all programs, functions, offices, and
            activities of OST-X in the exercise of the Secretary's
            statutory authorities in accordance with the law and the
            Constitution.

       It is my responsibility to be a steward of taxpayer
            resources in the execution of my role. This of course requires
            that internal controls and business practices operate at
            maximum efficiency in a waste-free culture grounded in
            execution and accountability for results.

       I have significant experience in driving outsized P&L
            (profit and loss) growth through operational efficiencies and
            process improvements. The key components of my operational
            success have been developing a strategic plan, building a
            budget to support the plan, followed by disciplined execution
            and recalibration, as necessary. I have also led the
            integration of multiple mergers and acquisitions where my team
            and I achieved synergies thorough streamlining systems,
            processes, and the efficient deployment of talent.

        24. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the
    department/agency/commission/corporation, and why?

       The airline industry continues to restructure and adapt to
            new market conditions in the wake of the pandemic, and DOT
            needs to ensure that a level playing field exists for U.S. air
            carriers that includes a variety of business models. A
            competitive and fair business environment maximizes the
            benefits of air transportation to passengers and shippers. We
            will also need to facilitate the integration into the industry
            of emerging technologies that will redefine transportation.

       Compliance with our international Open Skies agreements
            varies greatly around the world, with concerning trends that
            may potentially reduce capacity and operations for U.S. air
            carriers at major international hubs. DOT must enforce these
            international agreements to protect U.S. interests abroad and
            ensure fair competition for U.S. air carriers, free market-
            based operational and pricing freedoms, and connectivity for
            American consumers. Across the modes of transportation, DOT
            also must work to ensure market access for U.S. transportation
            exports.

       Preserving and increasing access to reliable commercial air
            service for small and rural communities continues to be a
            challenge due to the ongoing restructuring of the regional
            airline industry. I will partner with the FAA to ensure that
            there are no regulatory impediments to the growth of regional
            air carriers and their ability to adopt new technologies, other
            than those required for safety.
                       b. potential conflicts of interest
        1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation
    agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates,
    clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement
    accounts, such as a 401(k) or pension plan.
        Any current arrangements are fully described in Part 3 of my Public
    Financial Disclosure Report.

       I have no deferred compensation agreements and will
            discontinue all board and advisory roles where there are
            potential conflicts. I receive no fees or compensation outside
            of my current role at DOT.

       I have vested illiquid employee incentive units at previous
            privately held companies. (Triman Industries and Elliott
            Aviation) the details of which are included in my 278e form.

       All former employer 401Ks have been rolled into personal
            rollover IRAs.

       My consulting business, DJ Edwards Services, LLC, will be
            inactive during my appointment and all outstanding client fees
            were fixed before I entered government service.

        2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal,
    to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business,
    association, or other organization during your appointment? If so,
    please explain. None.
        3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other
    relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in
    the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will
    resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's
    Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts
    of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be
    resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I
    have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics
    Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware
    of any other potential conflicts of interest.
        4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial
    transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for
    yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in
    any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the
    position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve
    each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's
    Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts
    of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be
    resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I
    have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics
    Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware
    of any other potential conflicts of interest.
        5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest and explain
    how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with
    the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's
    Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts
    of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be
    resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I
    have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics
    Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware
    of any other potential conflicts of interest.
        6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the
    names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the
    purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or
    modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and
    execution of law or public policy. None.
                                c. legal matters
        1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics,
    professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a
    complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special
    Counsel, an Inspector General, professional association, disciplinary
    committee, or other professional group? If yes:

      a.  Provide the name of the court, agency, association, committee, or
            group;

      b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action was issued or initiated;

      c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action;

      d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action,
            complaint, or personnel action.

        None.
        2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by
    any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal,
    State, county, municipal, or foreign government entity, other than for
    a minor traffic offense? If so, please explain. No.
        3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were
    an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency
    proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please
    explain. No.
        4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo
    contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic
    offense? If so, please explain. No.
        5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual
    assault, sexual harassment, or discrimination on the basis of sex,
    race, religion, or any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
        6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information,
    favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in
    connection with your nomination.
        N/A.
                         d. relationship with committee
        1. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation complies with deadlines for information set by
    congressional committees, and that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation endeavors to timely comply with requests for information
    from individual Members of Congress, including requests from members in
    the minority? Yes.
        2. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation does whatever it can to protect congressional witnesses and
    whistleblowers from reprisal for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
        3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested
    witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with
    firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
        4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly
    constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be
    reasonably requested to do so? Yes.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                     ______

        Good morning. I appreciate the invitation to speak to the members
    of the U.S. Tour Operators Association's Congressional Caucus.
    The National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan in
            Support of Robust Transportation Infrastructure
        I'll begin by setting the stage. The Department supports robust
    infrastructure across the Nation to make the travel experience seamless
    for our citizens and visitors.
        The Department plays an important role in implementing the whole-
    of-government strategy for tourism led by the Department of Commerce.
    It promotes our Nation as a premier destination and fosters a travel
    and tourism sector that drives economic growth and creates good jobs.
        The Department's National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure
    Strategic Plan recognizes the importance of expanding transportation
    options for all, including in underserved rural communities.
    Implementation of the Strategic Plan facilitates economic development
    that employs millions of workers who can count on DOT to support the
    design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation's multimodal
    transportation system.
        This Strategic Plan promotes infrastructure that serves all
    travelers and aligns with Departmental goals and across the government
    through the Department's involvement in the interagency Tourism Policy
    Council. Historic investments under the Infrastructure Investment and
    Jobs Act amplify the Department's implementation efforts to develop and
    maintain the infrastructure necessary to the Nation and to support
    travel and tourism.
        The National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan also
    catalogues DOT grant programs that can serve as a resource for State
    and local policymakers, as well as identifies data needs to bolster the
    travel industry. The Department is investigating the development of a
    modernized American Travel Survey, last conducted in 1995, to promote
    economic growth in the travel industry.
        Select examples of DOT grants that specify tourism as a criterion
    include the National Scenic Byways Program, Nationally Significant
    Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects Grant Program, National
    Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, Rural Surface Transportation
    Grant Program, and Federal Lands Access Program.
        There are many considerations for putting the Strategic Plan into
    practice. I'll focus on a handful today.

       First and foremost, the Department places the highest
            priority on ensuring that travelers reach, and then return
            from, their destinations safely and efficiently.

        The Department also places great importance on the quality of all
    transportation infrastructure, including for air travel, streamlined
    regulations for the travel business, and preparing for the future of
    travel.
    Safety and Efficiency
        I'll say more about the broader transportation system but will
    start with aviation. At the Department, the Secretary has been focusing
    intensively on the National Airspace System. He recently highlighted
    his plan to upgrade our air traffic control system. By replacing the
    current, antiquated system, the FAA will enhance safety in the sky,
    reduce delays, and unlock the future of air travel. This plan also
    ensures hard-working air traffic controllers have a system they can
    rely on, and one they deserve.
        The Secretary's plan addresses critical safety needs to deliver
    Americans a state-of-the-art air traffic control system. Key to
    success, the FAA will replace core infrastructure including radar,
    software, hardware and telecommunications networks to manage modern
    travel. The agency will equip facilities with better technology to
    reduce outages, improve efficiency, and reinforce safety.
        For instance, delivery of a state-of-the-art air traffic control
    system means working closely with our partners, such as the Port
    Authority of New York and New Jersey, in response to the service issues
    at Newark Airport. Seconding, FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau,
    I'm proud of the work that the Port Authority and FAA Technical
    operations and controllers. As the Secretary has said, there's a lot to
    be done, and the safety of the system is job number one for us.
        In addition to technological objectives for air travel, the
    Secretary announced a new package of actions to supercharge the air
    traffic controller workforce. The package will allow more of the best
    and brightest candidates to get into air traffic facilities and on the
    job faster, as well as increase retention of experienced controllers.
        The FAA is on track to hire at least 2,000 controllers this year
    following the March supercharged hiring campaign. Secretary Duffy also
    streamlined the hiring process, already having shaved five months off
    the old hiring process.
    Regulation in the Travel Industry
        Undergirding a seamless travel experience, the Nation needs
    regulations on business travel that won't limit economic growth. The
    Trump Administration understands that overly burdensome and unduly
    prescriptive Federal regulations impose costs that limit our Nation's
    economic growth and ability to build and innovate in the marketplace.
        The Department has received comments from industry, including the
    U.S. Tour Operators Association, asking that the ancillary services fee
    rule be rescinded.

       The Department is committed to restoring commonsense
            governance and ensuring regulations are not overly burdensome
            and costly.

       We will closely examine both its ancillary service fee rule
            and the FAA Reauthorization regarding offline disclosures of
            ancillary service fees and determine how best to proceed.

        The Department is committed to reducing the cost of complying with
    regulations in the transportation sector. The Department will closely
    examine its ancillary service fee and refund rules and the FAA
    Reauthorization regarding offline disclosures of ancillary service fees
    and determine how best to proceed.
    Future of Travel
        The Department is also hard at work realizing the future of
    travel--making it safe, efficient, and as seamless as possible for all
    travelers. We've already covered some of the amazing efforts underway
    for air traffic control modernization. The Department is also preparing
    for future events in the United States that will generate huge travel
    demand. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first of many major sporting
    events that our Nation will host over the coming decade.
        In preparation for that, the Department is participating in the
    White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026. Preparation for this
    exciting opportunity to showcase America's sporting venues, travel
    destinations, and transportation infrastructure includes the following
    examples from DOT Modal Administrations:

       Federal Aviation Administration and my Office of the
            Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs will
            work with FIFA on aviation matters related to the matches.

       The Federal Highway Administration is assisting local
            transportation officials with traffic management planning,
            sharing best practices and other traffic management planning.

       The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working
            with FIFA, host cities, and the charter bus industry to
            coordinate and ensure the safe operation of charter buses
            through compliance with FMCSA regulations.

       The Federal Transit Administration is working with transit
            and commuter rail and bus agencies to explore ways for host
            cities to meet anticipated transportation demand increases in
            their cities during FIFA events.

       The Federal Railroad Administration is working with
            intercity rail operators for operations planning to meet
            anticipated increase in demand. Amtrak service will be
            particularly meaningful on the Northeast Corridor and in the
            Pacific Northwest between host cities Seattle and Vancouver.

       The Department's Chief Travel and Tourism Office will lead
            implementation of the National Travel and Tourism
            Infrastructure Strategic Plan, coordinate with interagency
            partners through the Tourism Policy Council working group on
            sports events, and engage with international partners as
            appropriate. In addition, my office will raise awareness of
            potential human trafficking incidents that can be associated
            with large scale events.

        The future of travel also includes innovative technologies that
    will create new ways to get around. In April, Secretary Duffy announced
    the establishment of the FAA's Center for Advanced Aviation
    Technologies. As he noted, from drones delivering your packages to
    powered lift technologies like air taxis, we are at the cusp of an
    aviation revolution. The Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies will
    ensure we make that dream a reality, by unleashing American innovation
    to advance aviation technologies and ensure their safe integration into
    the National Airspace System.
        Lastly, last week you may have seen Secretary Duffy kick off the
    Great American Road Trip in conjunction with the 250th birthday of our
    great nation. We had an auto show right at DoT that showcased dozens of
    amazing American-made cars trucks SUVs and RVs all well suited for a
    great adventure. We are encouraging U.S. families and international
    visitors to take to roads on a Great American Road Trip. We've
    identified 250 attractions across the country.

       Many of us can relate--show of hands--Wagoneer

       Put down the cell phones, engage with family and take in the
            scenery.

       If you are coming for the world cup, rent a car and see the
            U.S. between match sites
    Closing
        The Department recognizes the role USTOA plays in our economy,
    nearly $16 billion in revenue and employment of more than 400,000 U.S.
    citizens by your broader membership. That economic activity is one
    indicator; another type of indicator is the memories that people make
    together when traveling. Memories made with the support of your
    membership. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you all today.
                                     ______

               Dan Edwards: AUVSI Drone and AAM Policy Symposium
    Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | [DETERMINE PRECISE TIME]
    Washington, DC | Nationals Park (1500 South Capitol St SE) at the
            Champion's Club Room (behind 1st base)
    Core Message/Framing
       The administration is invested and prepared for AAM. We
            recognize the potential benefit of this industry and the
            administration is acting with urgency to enable new
            opportunities.

       The President and Secretary strongly support growth in this
            field and have acted with Executive Orders, new programs and
            initiatives, and investments in research centers to quickly
            make the U.S. an international leader in deployment of drones
            and AAM.

       We are coordinating with our partners within government and
            internationally, to communicate and enact our vision of
            integrated AAM and establish the underlying rules and policies
            as international models.

       Our product and approach will stand out because of how it
            works with the plans of other agencies and with local
            communities to enable systems that can support many new uses of
            AAM. Our plans will ensure safety, security, privacy, and
            enable new entrants anywhere, even the busiest airspace in the
            world.

       We are also engaging with the communities that AAM will
            serve. With industry partnership, these efforts will help
            communities better plan to adopt the AAM industry, start
            operations that better connect U.S. communities and gain
            critical public support.
    Remarks
    Introductions and Opening Statements
       [DETERMINE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS TO RECOGNIZE FROM ATTENDING
            ORGANIZATIONS] I'd like to thank Michael Robbins, AUVSI's CEO
            for getting everyone together today and Keely Griffith and her
            team for helping us organize this event.

       The leadership, outreach, and engagement that you're
            demonstrating here is necessary to enable benefits we're all
            seeking from new entrants, and I appreciate the opportunity to
            talk about how we can ensure that the United States is a leader
            in deploying drones and AAM.

       [PERSONAL BACKGROUND AND TRANSITION TO GOVERNMENT SERVICE
            (approx. 1 minute-90 seconds)]

       One of the reasons public service was such a compelling
            option is because we are prepared to start taking action to
            change aviation in this country and get things moving.

       The administration is hugely invested and prepared for
            drones and AAM. We recognize the potential benefit of these
            industries and we're focused on getting new operations in the
            air.

       There is a lot at stake and a lot to be gained by industry
            and the public in pursuing new, secure, safe, efficient,
            accessible technologies across the country. At the Department
            of Transportation we're working across the Federal government,
            with international partners, and with the aviation industry to
            make that happen.

       I think it's particularly timely that we are having these
            sorts of events now, in the nascent stages of Advanced Air
            Mobility and drones entering the airspace. All the attending
            organizations today have things they can do to get the future
            here faster.

       At the DOT we are working with all of our partners to
            coordinate standards, develop interoperable rules, and
            establish mutually beneficial agreements that will make these
            concepts viable.

       The Department of Transportation plans to be at the
            forefront of these global efforts; the President and the
            Secretary are behind these efforts and we have all the tools we
            need.

       We don't want drones or AAM held back by red tape, we don't
            want some industries to have different rules or requirements in
            different places, or to have aircraft with certification, but
            no regulatory path for operations.
    What We're Doing
       The FAA is used to handling large passenger aircraft,
            operating minutes apart, built and run by relatively few
            manufacturers and operators. This administration is going to
            use tools and standards in use by private entities and finally
            release necessary regulation to get things moving.
    Executive Orders
       One thing the president has done to accelerate long overdue
            steps in drones and AAM is to sign executive orders that will
            accelerate domestic drone production, secure our airspace, and
            ensure our global leadership.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American
    Airspace Sovereignty, June 6 2025

       These orders set U.S. policy to accelerate deployment of new
            entrants by streamlining domestic commercialization of UAS
            technologies at scale. That means we are releasing risk-based
            rules, taking advantage of innovation in the industry to set
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            standards, and accelerating certifications and approvals.

       We have directed the FAA to deploy artificial intelligence
            (AI) tools to streamline and expedite UAS waiver reviews and
            require an updated roadmap for the integration of civil UAS
            into the National Airspace System.

       These policies will ensure our global competitiveness by
            streamlining regulations, expanding market access, and
            utilizing Federal financing tools.

       Our goal is to build a strong American UAS market that can
            start exporting to other countries.

       These executive orders also set aggressive release calendars
            for the rules that we need to start certifying aircraft,
            training a new workforce, and building the infrastructure it
            takes to support drones and AAM.
    Enabling Rules
       We are writing the rules that will explain what someone
            would need to do to safely operate a drone or vertical take-off
            vehicle. These are moving quickly but they are far from the
            only things we'll need to address to safely realize benefits
            from these new industries.

       The FAA has over a million drones registered. The possible
            businesses cases for drone-dependent functions and businesses
            are likewise growing daily. The technology for operating drones
            is arguably already here, developing ways to safely and
            securely operate them over people or in dense areas and
            integrate them with everything else in the air is our challenge
            in the Federal government now.

       We're going to need to get more comfortable managing mobile
            aircraft operating in populated areas. We will need to find
            ways to efficiently assess software and automation systems
            while making the upgrades necessary to keep these aircraft
            integrated into new air traffic management systems to make sure
            government can keep pace with technology and create an
            environment where the growing U.S. aviation industry can
            generate business and opportunity.

       The Department will finally be meeting mandates from
            Congress and the Administration to release rules that will
            enable beyond-visual-line-of-sight for drones, establish air
            traffic management systems for low altitudes, and ensure that
            critical facilities are kept safe.

       We know we'll need to rely on industry consensus standards
            and state, local, and aviation industry partners to jump start
            the infrastructure development needed. We need to complete our
            investments in airspace modernization, develop new processes
            aided by automation, and ensure all aircraft are safe, secure,
            and generating benefits.

       The Department has already released a final rule for powered
            lift operations to open the skies to the first AAM flights
            after certification. We've established the first completely new
            category of civil aircraft since helicopters were introduced in
            the 1940s.

       ``Powered lift aircraft are the first new category of
            aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave
            the way for accommodating wide-scale Advanced Air Mobility
            (AAM) operations in the future.''

       The FAA previously determined it could certify powered-lift
            using existing rules and updated other regulations so air taxis
            could be used commercially right away.
    Enabling Operations, Investing in Projects
       President Trump's Executive Order 14307 on ``Unleashing
            American Drone Dominance'' also establishes an eVTOL
            Integration Pilot Project (eIPP) that requires at least five
            demonstrations that will help demonstrate viable uses of AAM.

       The EO allows the Department the option to expand the scope
            of the project to other advanced aviation aircraft. DOT is
            leading the combined efforts of the FAA and our other Federal
            partners in the strategy to kickstart AAM operations. The
            Request for Proposals on the eIPP should be ready later this
            summer.

       We have also worked effectively with Congress and Texas A&M
            University to design and support a Center for Advanced Aviation
            Technologies (CAAT). The CAAT and similar research facilities
            we plan to support play a central role in proving the safety
            and benefits of AAM aircraft, and the methods we can use to
            integrate them into our airspace and infrastructure throughout
            the U.S.

       We want to stay coordinated and focused on funding
            successful collaborations that yield real results.
    The Plans for Drones and AAM
       We are also following the lead of Congress and the Trump
            administration to develop a national strategy for AAM. We're
            working across government to outline a path to mature
            operations and integration of AAM with every other part of the
            transportation system, other countries systems, and with local
            communities.

       We have a national strategy, written in partnership with
            over 20 Federal agencies that will enable AAM across the
            country, fully integrating it into what is already the busiest
            airspace in the world. The strategy includes plans to create
            the tools and guidance that States and local governments will
            need to keep new operations secure, maximize value to the
            public, prepare needed workforces, and develop state-of-the-art
            infrastructure that connects communities in new ways across
            transportation options.

       Last year's FAA Reauthorization and 2023's AAM Coordination
            and Leadership Act also made it clear that Congress wants us to
            continue our work. The Reauth expanded the scope of our
            planning efforts, established new offices to manage research,
            innovation, and regulations, and encouraged more FAA
            involvement in industry standards development.

       Our 10-year strategy will accommodate wide-scale AAM
            operations that fully integrate with drone operations,
            traditional aircraft, and even smarter surface transportation
            options.

       Among other topics the strategy lays out plans for

         airspace modernization

         infrastructure development

         automation acceleration

         secure operations and supply chains

         engaged communities

         highly skilled workforces

         and new government approaches to aviation in America

       I have the National Strategy and the Comprehensive Plan
            under review at the Department right now. More than a year of
            interagency work went into these documents, a lot of agencies
            here contributed to our final product and we're happy to have
            achieved consensus on what America needs to move onwards and
            upwards.

       There is still an interagency review to clear, and a final
            briefing to Congress, but I am confident this will be a set of
            documents that can be championed by industry, academia, local
            governments, state governments, and the public.

       At DOT, it won't be enough to have the FAA certify aircraft,
            we need to work with our government partners to look at
            airspace, security, energy distribution, available spectrum,
            workforce development, local zoning, supply chain risks, and so
            many other issues we plan to address.
    The Role for Communities and Industry
       We aren't losing sight of how much new capabilities have the
            potential to improve people's lives domestically and locally.
            It is what has given DOT and our partners the drive to create
            the plans that we have. Drones and AAM can get jobs done safer,
            provide new regional connectivity, assist first responders, and
            provide new services to communities.

       Public engagement around AAM will be crucial for this
            exciting new sector to deliver on the safety, environmental,
            and efficiency benefits it has the potential to offer. We need
            to make sure that we have robust processes in place to engage
            communities so they have a say and a stake in the services
            operated there.

       U.S. companies and foreign manufacturers looking for
            partners within the U.S. will need to understand U.S. consumer
            dynamics, and maintain compliance with safety laws and
            regulations, and obtain the community feedback that will be
            crucial for them to operate domestic routes. Engaging those
            areas and making those rules clear and interoperable represents
            a lot of shared work from governments, industry, and community
            leaders.

       The good news is we are well on our way to leading the world
            in drone and AAM development.

         We have manufacturing plants under development in Ohio
                and Georgia

         workforce development efforts across the United States
                that are developing the next generation with high tech,
                high value skills

         active partnerships between industry, FAA, the U.S.
                Air Force and NASA to study the needed processes and
                technologies to safely integrate future AAM operations

         more states and communities than we could possibly
                accommodate wanting to talk to us about their plans for
                AAM.

       We have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves as world
            leaders in a new type of aviation. We can do that by not only
            providing air taxi operations in cities, but by focusing on how
            best to connect communities and better connect them with our
            national transportation system.
    Closing Remarks and Transition to Questions
       This type of fully integrated, long-term vision is what will
            set the United States apart and allow us to lead in the markets
            that are developing around this new technology all over the
            world.

       We can lead by quickly releasing regulations and standards
            that can keep pace with technology and provide certainty for
            new manufactures and operators on how to operate their
            aircraft, attract and train pilots, and seamlessly operate into
            new types of facilities.

       All of our coordination needs to underscore our long-term
            vision, which is a plan for a national airspace where new
            entrants are not segregated, or restricted to a couple special
            use cases, but fully integrated into the airspace and able to
            operate where they can create benefits.

       We expect new entrants to fly with other air traffic, to be
            fully integrated across the airspace as well as with
            transportation on the ground, and fully integrated into the
            communities that will reap the benefits of this growing
            industry.

       Thanks again for the opportunity to talk to you today, at
            OST we're looking forward to working with our colleagues in the
            FAA, our Federal government partners, our counterparts at
            state, local, and tribal levels, and with our stakeholders in
            the aviation industry and the public. I look forward to the
            rest of today's remarks and will be happy to take some
            questions later.

        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        I now recognize Mr. Morse for his opening statement.

                STATEMENT OF TRENT MORSE, NOMINEE TO BE

                  A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

               METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

        Mr. Morse. Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and
    members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to
    appear before you today as you consider my nomination to serve
    as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan
    Washington Airports Authority.
        I would also like to express my deepest condolences. Our
    hearts and prayers go out to the entire UPS family and
    Louisville community after the tragic aviation accident that
    occurred last night.
        I am deeply grateful for your time and for the courtesies
    extended by you and your staff throughout this process. Many of
    you and your staff have shared valuable insight that will guide
    me in this role and, if confirmed, I look forward to continuing
    a productive relationship with this committee.
        I would also like to thank Senator Scott for his
    introduction and for his support over the years. I extend my
    heartfelt appreciation to President Trump for nominating me. It
    has been a privilege of a lifetime to work for him since 2016
    and I am humbled by the trust he has placed in me for this
    important position.
        I want to also thank my family and many of my dear friends
    who are here with me today or watching online. I was born and
    raised in Tampa, Florida, and went to both undergraduate and
    law school at Florida State University.
        I was always interested in being involved in public
    service, and in 2010 I applied for my first internship with a
    newly elected Governor that upended the entire Florida
    political system.
        It was from that internship where I worked my way up to my
    very first job as a state employee in Governor Rick Scott's
    office. Those early experiences taught me the importance of
    public safety--service.
        My professional experience includes state and Federal
    public service but also the private sector, which I believe
    will serve as an asset to the Metropolitan Washington Airport
    Authority.
        I am personally passionate about transportation. I am a
    self-described aviation geek. I have worked for the
    Transportation and Infrastructure Holding Company, Florida DOT,
    and during the first Trump administration I served at USDOT.
        I left Federal service in September where I most recently
    served as the Deputy Director of Presidential personnel working
    to oversee the recruitment and hiring of more than 3,200
    political appointees across the Federal Government.
        If confirmed, I will work closely with my fellow members of
    the Board of Directors to ensure that travelers through Ronald
    Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International
    Airport have complete confidence in their safety and security.
        The national capital region is one of the busiest and most
    sensitive aviation environments in the country requiring
    constant vigilance, coordination, and an unwavering commitment
    to passenger safety.
        With the recent events at DCA and the plans for continued
    modernization and expansion, I will uphold the highest
    standards of safety, ethical integrity, and transparency.
        The Authority's mission to ensure that every passenger
    receives the highest level of safety and customer service will
    remain my guiding focus. MWAA plays a vital role in connecting
    our Nation's capital to the world. It supports commerce and
    tourism but it is how many of you get home to your family and
    to your constituencies.
        I want to ensure that this airport system continues to be
    that critical link and can be a showcase for our country. We
    have seen the continued investment in the facilities at Ronald
    Reagan--I think we all remember Gate 35X--but we must ensure
    that the international gateway to our Nation's capital, Dulles,
    is a world-class facility.
        As of today, there is not a single U.S. international
    airport ranked in the top 10 airports worldwide and I think we
    have an opportunity here. The people mover is a relic of the
    past.
        It is an embarrassment that international travelers when
    visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world
    are transported back to the 1960s. If I have the privilege of
    being confirmed, I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to
    make Dulles the airport we should be proud of.
        I am committed to ensuring MWAA continues to operate
    responsibly and efficiently while also meeting the growing
    demands of the traveling public and maintaining the highest
    standards of safety and professionalism.
        Once again, I thank the Committee for its consideration of
    my nomination and for the courtesy extended throughout this
    process.
        If confirmed, I will work diligently and collaboratively
    with this committee and my fellow board members to advance the
    mission of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and
    to get rid of the people mover.
        It would be an honor to serve in this position, and I look
    forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement and biographical information of Mr.
    Morse follow:]

    Prepared Statement of Trent Morse, Nominee to be a Member of the Board
            of Directors, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
        Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the
    Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as
    you consider my nomination to serve as a Member of the Board of
    Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. I am
    deeply grateful for your time and for the courtesies extended by you
    and your staff throughout this process. Many of you and your staff have
    shared valuable insights that will guide me in this role, and if
    confirmed, I look forward to continuing a productive relationship with
    this Committee.
        I would also like to thank Senator Scott for his introduction, and
    for his support over the years.
        I extend my heartfelt appreciation to President Trump for
    nominating me. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work for him
    since 2016, and I am humbled by the trust he has placed in me for this
    important position.
        I want to also thank my family, and many of my dear friends who are
    here with me today or watching online.
        I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and went to both
    undergraduate and law school at Florida State University. I was always
    interested in being involved in public service, and in 2010 I applied
    for my first internship with a newly elected Governor that upended the
    entire Florida political system. It was from that internship, where I
    worked my way up to my first job, as a state employee in Governor Rick
    Scott's office. Those early experiences taught me the importance of
    public service.
        My professional experience includes state, and Federal public
    service, but also the private sector--which I believe will serve as an
    asset to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
        I am personally passionate about transportation. I am a self-
    described ``aviation'' geek. I have worked for a transportation and
    infrastructure holding company, Florida DOT, and during the first Trump
    administration, I served at USDOT.
        I left Federal service in September, where I most recently served
    as Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel, working to oversee the
    recruitment and hiring of more than 3,200 political appointees across
    the Federal government.
        If confirmed, I will work closely with my fellow members of the
    Board of Directors to ensure that travelers through Ronald Reagan
    Washington National and Washington Dulles International Airports have
    complete confidence in their safety and security. The National Capital
    Region is one of the busiest and most sensitive aviation environments
    in the country, requiring constant vigilance, coordination, and an
    unwavering commitment to passenger safety. With recent events at DCA
    and the plans for continued modernization and expansion, I will uphold
    the highest standards of safety, ethical integrity, and transparency.
    The Authority's mission, to ensure that every passenger receives the
    highest level of safety and customer service, will remain my guiding
    focus.
        The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority plays a vital role
    in connecting our Nation's capital to the world, supports commerce and
    tourism--but also is how many of you get home to your family and your
    constituencies. I want to ensure that this airport system continues to
    be that critical link, and can be a showcase for our country. We have
    seen continued investment of the facilities at Reagan (I think we all
    remember gate Gate35x).
        BUT, we must ensure that the international gateway to our nations
    capital, Dulles, is a world class facility. As of today, there is not a
    single U.S. international airport ranked in the top 10 airports
    worldwide. We have an opportunity here. The people mover is a relic of
    the past. It is an embarrassment that international travelers, when
    visiting the capital of the most powerful nation in the world--are
    transported back to 60s. If I have the privilege of being confirmed, I
    will work tirelessly with my colleagues to make Dulles the airport that
    we should be proud of.
        I am committed to ensuring that MWAA continues to operate
    responsibly and efficiently while meeting the growing demands of the
    traveling public and maintaining the highest standards of safety and
    professionalism.
        Once again, I thank the Committee for its consideration of my
    nomination and for the courtesy extended throughout this process. If
    confirmed, I will work diligently and collaboratively with this
    Committee and my fellow Board members to advance the mission of the
    Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (and get rid of the people
    mover). It would be the honor to serve in this position, and I look
    forward to your questions.
                                     ______

                          a. biographical information
        1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Trent Michael
    Morse.
        2. Position to which nominated: Member of the Board of Directors of
    the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for a term expiring May
    30, 2030, vice Sean Burton.
        3. Date of Nomination: 09/03/2025.
        4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

            Residence: Information not released to the public.
            Office: Information not provided.

        5. Date and Place of Birth: Information not provided.
        6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your
    spouse (if married) or domestic partner, and the names and ages of your
    children (including stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).
        Sean Donahue (Domestic Partner), General Counsel, Environmental
    Protection Agency
        7. List all college and graduate schools attended, whether or not
    you were granted a degree by the institution. Provide the name of the
    institution, the dates attended, the degree received, and the date of
    the degree.

       B.S., International Affairs and Political Science, Florida
            State University (2009-2011)

       J.D., Florida State University College of Law (2014-2017)

        8. List all post-undergraduate employment, including the job title,
    name of employer, and inclusive dates of employment, and highlight all
    management-level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to
    the position for which you are nominated.

       External Affairs, Executive Office of Rick Scott (2011-2012)

       Director of Operations, Richard Clark for Congress (2012)

       Advance Representative, Mitt Romney for President (2012)

       Public Affairs, JAX Chamber (2013-2014)

       Director of Public Affairs, Healthy Schools LLC (2014)

       Corporate Development Associate, Florida East Coast
            Industries (2015-2016)

       Senior Advance Representative, Trump/Pence for President &
            58th Inaugural Committee (2016-2017)

       Senior Law Clerk, Florida Department of Transportation
            (2017)

       Special Assistant, United States Department of
            Transportation, (2017-2018)

       Senior Policy Advisor, United States Department of Housing
            and Urban Development (2018)

       White House Liaison, United States Department of Health and
            Human Services (2018-2019)

       Senior Associate, Ballard Partners (2020-2022)

       President, Jacksonville Host Committee (2020)

       Campaign Manager, Tudor Dixon for Governor (2022)

       Senior Vice President, Mercury Public Affairs (2023)

       Chief of External Affairs and GOP Outreach, Republican
            National Committee (2023-2024)

       Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel and Deputy
            Assistant to the President, Executive Office of the President
            (2025)

       Managing Partner, Morse Strategies (2025 to present)

       Senior Strategic Advisor, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
            LLP (2025 to present)

        9. Attach a copy of your resume.
        Attached #1.
        10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time
    service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other
    than those listed above after 18 years of age.
        Not Applicable.
        11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee,
    partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any
    corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise,
    educational, or other institution.

       Owner, Morse Strategies, LLC;

       Owner, Nottingham & Partners LLC;

       Owner, Oliver & Company, LLC.

        12. List all memberships you have had after 18 years of age or
    currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, educational,
    political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or religiously
    affiliated organization, private club, or other membership organization
    (You do not have to list your religious affiliation or membership in a
    religious house of worship or institution). Include dates of membership
    and any positions you have held with any organization. Please note
    whether any such club or organization restricts membership on the basis
    of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

       Phi Kappa Tau (Men's Fraternity) (2009-2011)
          i. Restricted to men

       The Buffalo Club (2023-2024)
          ii. Not aware of any restrictions to membership

       Ned's Club (2025-Present)
          iii. Not aware of any restrictions to membership

       Board Member, U.S. Department of Transportation Advisory
            Board (2025-Present)
          iv. No restrictions

        13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office
    (elected, non-elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any
    campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are
    personally liable for that debt.
        Not Applicable.
        14. List all memberships and offices held with and services
    rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or
    election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid
    position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether
    compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years,
    identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year
    of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities.

       Senior Advance Representative, Trump Pence for President &
            58th Inaugural Committee (2016-2017)

       Advisor, Lynda Blanchard for Governor (2022)

       Campaign Manager, Tudor Dixon for Governor (2022)

       Chief of External Affairs and GOP Outreach, Republican
            National Committee/Trump Vance for President (2023-2024)

        15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign
    organization, political party, political action committee, or similar
    entity of $200 or more for the past ten years.

       08/18/2015, Jeb 2016, $250.00

       07/31/2020, Donald J. Trump for President, $375.00

       07/31/2020, Donald J. Trump for President, $375.00

       07/31/2020, Donald J. Trump for President, $375.00

       07/31/2020, Trump Make America Great Again Committee,
            $500.00

       02/26/2021, Max Miller for Congress, $500.00

       06/03/2022, Lynda Blanchard, $2,487.49

       09/30/2025, Mowers for Congress, $500.00

        16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary
    society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition
    for outstanding service or achievements.
        Not Applicable.
        17. List all books, articles, columns, letters to the editor,
    Internet blog postings, or other publications you have authored,
    individually or with others. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    publication when available.
        Not Applicable.
        18. List all speeches, panel discussions, and presentations (e.g.,
    PowerPoint) that you have given on topics relevant to the position for
    which you have been nominated. Include a link to each publication when
    possible. If a link is not available, provide a digital copy of the
    speech or presentation when available.
        Not Applicable.
        19. List all public statements you have made during the past ten
    years, including statements in news articles and radio and podcasts and
    television appearances, which are on topics relevant to the position
    for which you have been nominated, including dates. Include a link to
    each statement when possible. If a link is not available, provide a
    digital copy of the statement when available.

       Mike Mendenhall, RNC host committee president: The
            convention is `going to happen', 07/22/2020

       Drew Wilson, Personnel note: Trent Morse joins Mercury as
            SVP, 01/06/2023

       Caitlin Oprysko, Senior WH aide first to decamp for K
            Street, 08/19/2025

        20. List all digital platforms (including social media and other
    digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated
    an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your
    name or an alias. Include the full name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'',
    including the complete URL and username with hyperlinks, you have used
    on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account is active,
    deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if possible.

       LinkedIn (Active)

       X (Active)

        21. Please identify each instance in which you have testified
    orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
    governmental capacity and specify the date, committee, and subject
    matter of each testimony. None.
        22. Given the current mission, major programs, and major
    operational objectives of the department/agency/commission/corporation
    to which you have been nominated, what in your background or employment
    experience do you believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment
    to the position for which you have been nominated, and why do you wish
    to serve in that position?
        I am very honored to be President Donald J. Trump's nominee to be a
    member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington
    Airports Authority (MWAA). I have extensive political and governmental
    experience, and recently served as Deputy Assistant to President Trump
    and Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel, where I worked closely
    to vet over 3,000 staffers for jobs in the administration. I am also
    one of twelve people serving on the U.S. Department of Transportation
    Advisory Board.
        23. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to
    ensure that the department/agency/commission/corporation has proper
    management and accounting controls, and what experience do you have in
    managing a large organization?
        If confirmed, I work with my fellow board members, and the staff of
    MWAA to ensure that the authority is properly run, fiscally
    responsible, and positioned for the future. I have managed large staff
    in my prior positions both in government and outside of government.
        24. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the
    department/agency/commission/corporation, and why?

        I believe that the top three challenges for MWAA are:

      1.  Continuing to improve consumer choice at DCA without changes to
            existing service.

      2.  Working with the FAA and DOT to ensure safety around DCA, while
            minimizing delays and cancellations for passengers.

      3.  Continuing growth at Washington Dulles with updated facilities/
            infrastructure.
                       b. potential conflicts of interest
        1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation
    agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates,
    clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement
    accounts, such as a 401(k) or pension plan.
        I am a lobbyist and currently represent American Airlines in front
    of Executive Branch.
        2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal,
    to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business,
    association, or other organization during your appointment? If so,
    please explain.
        I will continue to represent my clients through Morse Strategies,
    LLC.
        3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other
    relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in
    the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will
    resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        I will recuse myself from any decisions that impact American
    Airlines.
        4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial
    transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for
    yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in
    any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the
    position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve
    each potential conflict of interest.
        Not Applicable.
        5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest and explain
    how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
        I will work through the agency ethics attorney and my counsel to
    ensure there are no conflicts of interest.
        6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the
    names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the
    purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or
    modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and
    execution of law or public policy.
        I have represented multiple clients in front of Executive Branch of
    the Federal government:

       1.  Association of Dental Support Organizations

       2.  Atlantic Sapphire

       3.  Axonics

       4.  Caplin Family Offices

       5.  City of Winter Haven

       6.  Contura, Inc.

       7.  Curative Inc.

       8.  Foundation United

       9.  Freedom for All Americans

      10.  Martin County, Florida

      11.  MCI, LC

      12.  Millennium Physician Group

      13.  On Demand pharmaceuticals

      14.  Renew Financial

      15.  RocketVax Ag

      16.  Sanolyte, LLC

      17.  Swarm Inc.

      18.  Tampa General Hospital
                                c. legal matters
        1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics,
    professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a
    complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special
    Counsel, an Inspector General, professional association, disciplinary
    committee, or other professional group? If yes:

      a.  Provide the name of the court, agency, association, committee, or
            group;

      b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action was issued or initiated;

      c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or
            personnel action;

      d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action,
            complaint, or personnel action.
        No.
        2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by
    any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal,
    State, county, municipal, or foreign government entity, other than for
    a minor traffic offense? If so, please explain. No.
        3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were
    an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency
    proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please
    explain. No.
        4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo
    contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic
    offense? If so, please explain. No.
        5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual
    assault, sexual harassment, or discrimination on the basis of sex,
    race, religion, or any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
        6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information,
    favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in
    connection with your nomination.
        Not Applicable.
                         d. relationship with committee
        1. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation complies with deadlines for information set by
    congressional committees, and that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation endeavors to timely comply with requests for information
    from individual Members of Congress, including requests from members in
    the minority? Yes.
        2. Will you ensure that your department/agency/commission/
    corporation does whatever it can to protect congressional witnesses and
    whistleblowers from reprisal for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
        3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested
    witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with
    firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
        4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly
    constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be
    reasonably requested to do so? Yes.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                     ______

      Addendum to the questionnaire submitted to the Senate Committee on
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 119th Congress by Trent Morse.
        Upon further review, I have identified the below additional follow
    up questions that are responsive to the Committee's questionnaire and
    follow up questions.

       For Part A, Q15 of the committee questionnaire, the Max
            Miller for Congress donation was on 09/30/2020, the 2025 was a
            typo. I mistakenly put the four 7/31/2020 donations of three
            $375 donations, and the $500 donation. Those were made by a
            different Trent Morse.

       For Part B, Q1 of the committee questionnaire, at Morse
            Strategies, I have signed contracts to represent American
            Airlines and FedEx in matters before the Executive Branch.
            Other than these two companies, to the best of my knowledge and
            belief, I do not have any other agreements with entities or
            clients that have relevant ties to the Metropolitan Washington
            Airports Authority.

       For Part B, Q3 of the committee questionnaire, at Morse
            Strategies, I have signed contracts to represent American
            Airlines and FedEx in front of the Executive Branch. If
            confirmed, I commit to follow the guidance of the Authority's
            Legal and Ethics Office, including recusing myself from matters
            where such guidance so advises.

       For Part B, Q4 of the committee questionnaire, to the best
            of my knowledge and belief, I did not work with any clients
            while at Ballard Partners or Mercury Public Affairs who have
            dealings with, or conflicts related to my potential position
            with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

       For Part B, Q6 of the committee questionnaire, other than my
            recent contracts to represent American Airlines and FedEx in
            front of the Executive Branch, to the best of my knowledge and
            belief, I have not represented any other clients with dealings
            or activities related to the Metropolitan Washington Airports
            Authority.

       For Part C, Q3 of the committee questionnaire, to the best
            of my knowledge and belief, the below list encompasses all
            matters in which my name appears. I am unable to comment on any
            ongoing litigation but note that my involvement in the listed
            cases was solely in a professional capacity.

         Cathy Harris v. Scott Bessent, et al U.S. Circuit
                Court of Appeals--D.C. Circuit

         Shira Perlmutter v. Todd Blanche, et al U.S. Circuit
                Court of Appeals--D.C. Circuit

         Todd Harper, et al v. Scott Bessent, et al U.S.
                Circuit Court of Appeals--D.C. Circuit

         Travis LeBlanc, et al v. United States Privacy and
                Civil Liberties, et al U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals--D.C.
                Circuit

        Senator Cruz. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Edwards, let us start with you. Since 2022, the
    government of Mexico has been in violation of the U.S.-Mexico
    Open Skies agreement after the Mexican president manipulated
    the cargo environment at Benito Juarez International Airport in
    Mexico City.
        The office you are nominated to lead is responsible for
    enforcing Open Skies agreements. Since the Trump administration
    has begun to engage with Mexico, has Mexico made any progress
    in meeting their obligations under the bilateral aviation
    agreement?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator, thank you for that question.
        A very complicated situation with Mexico that has bridged
    two administrations on both sides. Despite best efforts by the
    previous administration and ours today, we have not made a ton
    of progress.
        We have worked very diligently and hard to get them to come
    into compliance with this Open Skies agreement, which they
    signed in 2015. Subsequently, in 2022 confiscated slots of U.S.
    carriers, you know, denying us access to Mexico City's Benito
    Juarez Airport.
        Also, they have made no progress on being transparent with
    how the slots are allocated and what hours of the day and in
    what quantity, and in the time period where U.S. carrier slots
    were confiscated Mexican airlines have added frequencies to the
    U.S. so they have increased their flying while ours have been
    confiscated.
        And then, last, with the cargo operations being shifted out
    to a distant airport, U.S. cargo carriers are forced to operate
    not directly into Mexico City's airport while Mexican carriers
    are allowed to carry belly cargo, taking market share away from
    cargo carriers.
        So we have--we issued a show cause order and then recently
    a final order where we made very clear the steps that Mexico
    needs to take to come into compliance, and we have not had any
    progress to date.
        Senator Cruz. So I commend President Trump and Secretary
    Duffy for holding Mexico accountable to the Open Skies
    agreement. Clearly, the Biden administration neglected its
    responsibilities for upholding a competitive aviation
    environment.
        What can you tell this committee about the status of
    negotiations and, in particular, what do you see as an off
    ramp?
        Mr. Edwards. So the best off ramp here is quite simple. We
    have laid out four very distinct steps that the Mexican
    government needs to take to come into compliance with the
    agreement.
        So, of course, we have frozen future growth of flights of
    Mexican carriers to the U.S. so their flights are now capped.
    Now we have got to get our U.S. carrier flights back, get back
    to parity, and then have a clear slot regime where there is
    transparency on who is being allocated flights, when, and
    where.
        And at that point, the market can grow together just like
    every other Open Skies agreement, dozens of them we have around
    the world. So it is imperative that we enforce it. Other
    countries are looking at how we respond to this.
        Senator Cruz. So last week Secretary Duffy canceled routes
    or proposed routes from Mexican carriers to the United States.
    The cancellations were due to Mexico's disproportionate slot
    rules in Mexico City that hurt U.S. passenger and cargo
    carriers.
        Two Aeromexico routes between Mexico City and Houston and
    between Mexico City and McAllen, Texas, were both included in
    the list of canceled flights. I am particularly concerned about
    the canceled McAllen flight since no other carrier has nonstop
    service to Mexico City at this time.
        Mr. Edwards, do you expect that Texas cities that have lost
    service due to DOT actions taken in response to this Open Skies
    dispute will be made whole?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator Cruz, thank you for that question, and
    it is an imperative that these flights be returned to Texas.
    When we are able to get the Mexican government back into
    compliance, those flights will return and they will be flown by
    an American carrier or by a Mexican carrier, but they will come
    back.
        Senator Cruz. Well, I would urge swiftness in resolving
    this because I am certainly hearing from constituents who are
    dismayed not to have direct flights to Mexico City.
        Mr. Edwards. Completely understand, Senator.
        Senator Cruz. Mr. McCormack, the Biden-Buttigieg DOT used
    its time in office to advance its radical left-wing priorities
    including by adding environmental justice and DEI requirements
    to grant programs far beyond any statutory authority to do so.
        For example, the DOT's massive multimodal project
    discretionary grants evaluated whether projects address things
    like, quote, ``housing cost burdens,'' whether the project will
    reverse, quote, ``disadvantage'' by, quote, ``fighting climate
    change,'' or whether the project includes, quote,
    ``comprehensive planning and policies to promote hiring of
    underrepresented populations.''
        Can you talk about how this administration has refocused
    DOT to safety and, if confirmed, how you will continue to do
    so?
        Mr. McCormack. Happy to do so, Senator, and thank you for
    that question.
        To your exact point, the previous administration had
    included in their grant agreements and Schedules H and I some
    of this language or criteria that was debated in the Congress
    for IIJA and left on the sidelines.
        These are things that the Congress could not come agreement
    to but at the previous administration within DOT they decided
    to move those things forward anyway.
        So what we have simply done since day one is to come in,
    refocus the grant agreement process on the actual statutory
    requirements that we are obligated to do, and make sure that
    when we are speaking with applicants they have a better
    understanding of what their obligations are with the
    department, that we are simply looking for safety, not maybe
    some of these extraneous factors that were being weighed by the
    previous administration in deciding where dollars went.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        Ranking Member Cantwell.
        Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. McCormack, in your testimony you said we needed to
    improve transparency in the grant process. I have been
    concerned there is not enough. Will you provide a complete list
    of, roughly, 200 grants that are still under review by USDOT?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for the question, Senator.
        I know that I was working with your staff previous to this
    hearing with a list of withdrawn and terminated grants that we
    have provided. I know that we are working on what the rest of
    that is, understanding that it is a deliberative process.
        But even in the time since the minority staff interview
    last week where we had around 200 or so, the department has
    obligated another 89 of those grants, which we have done the
    appropriate congressional notifications to authorizers and
    appropriators.
        So we are working our way through that process.
        Senator Cantwell. So you will still--you will engage
    senators before any kind of cancellation?
        Mr. McCormack. We will follow all the appropriate
    congressional notifications, Senator.
        Senator Cantwell. The I-5 bridge--we had a chance to talk
    about this. Obviously, bridge capacity is important to our
    region because we move so much freight but it is also important
    to the United States of America for our competitiveness and
    national business groups like American Trucking Association.
        Will you commit to keep working on this project and the
    NEPA process to complete it on time?
        Mr. McCormack. Yes, absolutely, Senator. Thank you for
    that, and we will continue to work with you and your staff on
    that specific issue. I understand from both the staff meeting
    as well as our meeting yesterday how important it is to the
    region.
        I know it is a significant priority for Secretary Duffy to
    continue to engage in that regard and that at Federal highways
    as well as FTA there have been productive conversations with
    staffers.
        Senator Cantwell. Will you keep the Capital Investment
    Grant Program pipeline until it can be rated by the Federal
    Transit Administration?
        Mr. McCormack. I would have to defer and work with the
    Federal Transit Administration on that specific subject. As it
    relates to IBR, I have not been involved in my current role but
    would expect to take a more direct role if confirmed.
        Senator Cantwell. OK.
        Mr. Morse, the MWAA workforce is a big part of the job, 5.8
    percent increase in the previous traffic year. They, MWAA
    workers, struggle with the high cost of living in the greater
    D.C. area and deserve wage increases and compensation.
        If confirmed, would you support fair compensation for
    airport concession and contract workers?
        Mr. Morse. Well, thank you for your question, Senator.
        I am very interested on the concession program of keeping
    costs down for consumers that transit the airport. As you might
    have experienced, when you go in and buy a water bottle for
    about $10 it is a high cost and I just want to ensure that all
    the concessions continue to keep costs down for consumers that
    pass through that airport.
        Senator Cantwell. What about the workers and their
    compensation and----
        Mr. Morse. I want to----
        Senator Cantwell. Sorry, go ahead.
        Mr. Morse. Thank you, Senator, for the question. I want to
    make sure that they are paid accordingly, but at the end of the
    day, I want to make sure that costs remain low for passengers
    throughout those facilities.
        Senator Cantwell. Will you commit to work with us? There is
    a specific issue we did not get to finally address in the FAA
    bill and that is the fact that ramp workers--and there is a
    number of workers that work at airports that kind of fall in
    between the airlines and the airports and thus do not have any
    health insurance. Will you work with us to try to help resolve
    this issue?
        Mr. Morse. I will work with the Committee on these matters
    if they are within the purview of MWAA.
        Senator Cantwell. OK, thank you.
        Mr. Edwards--well, you can be an example airport. If you
    ask me, they are more important than the 1960s people movers.
    It is more important to have safe and secure workers at the
    airport, particularly when you want them to clean the planes
    and you do not want people to be sick.
        Mr. Edwards, what about the--you know, you and Senator Cruz
    had a robust discussion. I am not going to leap into that.
        You know, I might ask you for the record about what your
    views on competition really are. You know, we sell airplanes in
    the Northwest so we benefit whether they are bought--whoever
    buys them we benefit. But we do--I agree with Senator Cruz--you
    have to keep this competition and you have to keep a robust
    environment where we are opening up markets and, hopefully,
    encouraging more U.S. carriers to go to international
    destinations.
        But I wanted to ask you about ICAO. I know that Secretary
    Duffy has been pushing back on ICAO as it relates to
    decarbonization efforts. How are we going to keep the upper
    hand at ICAO if we are stepping away from ICAO?
        I mean, if you ask me, the United States needs to be more
    full throated in setting the agenda and by that I mean on
    safety standards that we believe should be around the world and
    not shying away and stepping away and let China dominate or let
    somebody else dominate on that front.
        How do we--how do we solve that problem?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator Cantwell, thank you for that question.
    Thank you for broaching a topic I am very passionate about.
        The ICAO assembly, as you know, occurs every 3 years and
    during my time on the job I have made two separate visits to
    Montreal to get a sense of what was going on on the ground
    there.
        We are 100 percent committed to taking a leadership role in
    ICAO, we the United States. There is a critical piece related
    to safety, as you mentioned.
        There is international competition and any number of topics
    where absent our presence and our leadership others will write
    the playbook. So it is imperative that we have a strong
    presence there.
        Secretary Duffy has authorized me to add two additional
    people to the staff in Montreal to strengthen DOT's presence
    and to make sure that our agendas and our positions are widely
    held.
        There are any number of international topics that we do not
    want led by China and Russia. So while we were at ICAO at the
    most recent assembly, the biggest accomplishment that Secretary
    Duffy led was the council vote.
        So of 160-plus nations that voted on who was going to lead
    ICAO in the council for the next 3 years, we came within six
    votes of Russia making it on that council. So if you do that
    math, like, we are within, you know, six votes of 50 percent of
    the world thinking that Russia should be leading at ICAO and it
    absolutely did not happen due to Secretary Duffy's effort and
    the efforts----
        Senator Cantwell. I am glad that you see the urgency of
    this issue and that is why I think stepping away and losing the
    ability to set standards and play a leadership role is so
    critical.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        Senator Fischer.

                    STATEMENT OF HON. DEB FISCHER,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        My home state of Nebraska is home to seven communities that
    are served by Essential Air Service. Rural communities rely
    heavily on the Essential Air Service program to provide
    connectivity and access to critical services.
        In addition to providing these services, EAS also helps
    these communities attract business and visitors driving our
    local economies. I was very disappointed to see significant
    funding cuts for EAS in DOT's budget proposal for Fiscal Year
    2026.
        Mr. McCormack and Mr. Edwards, will you both commit to
    working with me to ensure that my Nebraska communities and the
    rest of rural America are not harmed by reductions in EAS
    funding?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for that question, Senator, and I
    would just simply add, one, of course, we would like to
    continue working with you and your staff on that issue. EAS
    funding is a priority of Secretary Duffy's.
        When he was a Congressman he had two EAS airports in his
    district, and I think that you have seen, as we have dealt with
    this difficulty and lapse in appropriation, the department has
    really been doing all that we possibly can in order to keep EAS
    funded through this difficult time.
        So, again, would love to continue working with you and your
    staff on that vital issue.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you. Mr. Edwards?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator, you also have my commitment. EAS is a
    critical program to our small and rural communities, and we
    find ourselves in a situation that aviation is truly
    gravitating toward large hubs and toward the coasts.
        We need to ensure that there is opportunity for every
    American to access commercial flights and get to where they
    want to go. So not only do you have my commitment to support
    it, but you have my commitment to make sure that those dollars
    are executed much, much more efficiently.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you. Another one of my communities
    in my state alliance they filed a petition for reconsideration
    on a recent EAS order.
        As of today, Alliance Nebraska has still not received an
    answer to that petition from DOD EAS office, and I know that my
    staff has been in contact with DOT on the petition and I have
    concerns about how Alliance has been treated throughout this
    process.
        Mr. McCormack, I would encourage you to ensure that
    Alliance's petition is considered in a timely fashion.
        Mr. Edwards, should you be confirmed, I would like you to
    carefully consider that petition as well.
        Mr. McCormack, Nebraskans want safe and reliable rail
    service but Amtrak has not always been fiscally responsible nor
    have they been cooperative with their state rail partners who
    are operating profitable rail service across the network.
        My legislation, the Amtrak Transparency Act, opens broad
    meetings to state--board meetings to state partners and
    requires disclosures of executive bonuses.
        Mr. McCormack, as DOT Deputy Secretary how will you address
    the concerns over Amtrak's fiscal responsibility and ensure
    that they work well with their state rail partners?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for that question, Senator, and I
    cannot say that I have reviewed the legislation, though I am
    aware of maybe companion legislation.
        Senator Fischer. It is fabulous.
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. McCormack. I am sure it is.
        And would love to work with you and your staff on any
    technical assistance that may be required as part of that
    process. Certainly, it makes sense to me that as--that Amtrak
    would require transparency into the executive compensation.
        Senator Fischer. And I am sure you are well aware of this
    situation with the bonuses?
        Mr. McCormack. Generally aware, yes, of that situation.
        As you may know, the Secretary does have a designee to the
    board. His designee today is Deputy Secretary Steven Bradbury,
    and so I know that making sure that it is successful, making
    sure it is cost effective is seriously a priority of the
    Secretary's and would love to keep the conversation going with
    you and your staff on your legislation.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Morse, Congress authorized the Metropolitan Washington
    Airports Authority to operate and make decisions for both
    Reagan National and Dulles airports.
        When making any decision regarding one of the two airports,
    the airport authority considers how that decision impacts the
    other airport. I have heard that these decisions often benefit
    Dulles at the expense of Reagan.
        Do you think the different goals of each airport could be a
    conflict of interest for the decisions made by the airport
    authority that oversees both airports?
        Mr. Morse. Thank you, Senator, for your question.
        I do not believe it would be a conflict between the two
    airports. I want to ensure that both airports continue to
    remain a good choice, a competitive choice for the passengers
    that use them and keep costs low between the two of them.
        I think that we have got a great opportunity with Dulles.
    It can be a transformative infrastructure project for this
    country and make it a more competitive airport for a lot of the
    users in this area.
        Senator Fischer. Would you agree that DCA is effectively
    subsidizing some of Dulles' operations?
        Mr. Morse. I do not know if I would agree with that. I
    would want to work with both airports to ensure that costs
    remain low for the users that operate out of those two
    facilities.
        Senator Fischer. If confirmed, how are you going to make
    sure that decisions of the airport authority benefit both the
    airports and their passengers, and where do you see funding
    coming from to be able to reach some of the goals that you have
    expressed for Dulles?
        Mr. Morse. Thank you for your question, Senator.
        I think it is important to be creative with some of the
    infrastructure projects that I am interested in seeing the
    Board take up at Dulles International Airport.
        Why have we not looked at public-private partnerships? If
    you look at what have been very transformative projects at JFK
    and LaGuardia in a record amount of time, that was because it
    had the private industry and private sector involved. So I
    would want to work to find out if we can do a public-private
    partnership at that facility.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you.
        Earlier this year, this committee advanced my legislation,
    which was the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act.
    That bill allows the FMCSA to impose civil penalties against
    these unauthorized brokers.
        While the legislation is primarily focused on the trucking
    industry, I have increasingly heard from constituents across
    all modes of transportation about the negative impacts of cargo
    theft and we are seeing increasing acts that appear tied to
    cartel activity and organized crime.
        Mr. McCormack, should you be confirmed, I would like to see
    DOT working across modes to address the ongoing increase in
    cargo theft. Would you be open to that and do you believe that
    that problem is increasing?
        Mr. McCormack. Absolutely, Senator. Thank you for the
    question.
        I could not say whether it is increasing at this time but I
    would say certainly it is a priority of Secretary Duffy's that
    we engage with our interagency partners and provide what
    expertise we can in order to reduce cargo theft.
        I think what you have said, there seems to be significant
    evidence that transnational criminal enterprises are at play in
    that criminal activity and we want to make sure we do our part
    to reduce it.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        Senator Lujan.

                   STATEMENT OF HON. BEN RAY LUJAN,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO

        Senator Lujan. Senator Fischer, thank you for that last
    question. I look forward to visiting more with you in this
    space, an issue that there is a bipartisan group of members, as
    you are aware, that have been raising this issue. So I would
    love to follow up with the team.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling this
    meeting. I have a simple yes or no question to each of the
    panelists to start off with.
        Mr. McCormack, will you agree to follow the law?
        Mr. McCormack. Yes, Senator, absolutely.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Edwards, will you agree to follow the
    law?
        Mr. Edwards. Yes, Senator.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Morse, will you agree to follow the law?
        Mr. Morse. Yes, Senator.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. McCormack, yes or no, would you carry
    out an illegal order?
        Mr. McCormack. No, Senator. I would not.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Edwards, would you carry out an illegal
    order, yes or no?
        Mr. Edwards. No, Senator.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Morse, would you carry out an illegal
    order, yes or no?
        Mr. Morse. No, Senator.
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that.
        Mr. McCormack, in your opening statement I appreciate you
    saying that a priority is to, quote, ``put safety first in all
    that we do.'' I applaud that and I appreciate that, sir.
        As you may know, I worked with several of my Republican
    colleagues, Rick Scott being a co-sponsor of something called
    the Right Act and HALT Act. One of our colleagues on this
    committee as well, Shelley Moore Capito, has been instrumental
    in this legislation that was signed into law under President
    Biden, Secretary Buttigieg.
        I am very disappointed that under President Biden and
    Secretary Buttigieg they did not finalize this law, this rule,
    that, arguably, will save as many as 10,000 lives a year to
    prevent drunk driving.
        You may not know, sir, that I survived a drunk driving
    crash in the early 1990s. I passed this bipartisan legislation
    with the goal of saying, hey, this is bipartisan. Everyone is
    working on it. We should be able to do this. Safety first.
        I read recently that there is new technology in some of
    these vehicles across the country that are called, quote,
    ``full self-driving,'' quote, ``eyes off,'' and even something
    called, quote, ``Mad Max'' that is available in some vehicles
    that lets--if you buy the subscription, if you sign onto it, it
    lets you change lanes more aggressively.
        All right. Yes, it is incredible. I hope we have a hearing
    about that one.
        Now, my question, Mr. McCormack, the United States
    Department of Transportation is now approaching the second
    congressional deadline for a final rule on November 15, just 10
    days away.
        Yes or no, will you pledge to dedicate the necessary time
    and resources to complete NHTSA's rulemaking?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for the question, Senator, and
    absolutely I will follow the law. I know that there may be a
    requirement related to that.
        I would also be upfront in saying that due to the lapse in
    appropriation, significant rulemaking activity of the
    department has been hampered. But would love to work with NHTSA
    on whatever may be required and dig into the details of your
    legislation.
        Senator Lujan. Sure. No one moved anything when the
    government was open, man. Ten thousand lives. I am mindful when
    I am in a hearing room and on the floor not to use language
    that I use when I am on the small farm when I am home.
        I will not do it here. I am tired of the excuses and all
    the rest, man. We got to find a way to save people's lives and
    I just hope we can get there. We need to work to get the
    government to open up.
        I completely agree we need to prevent people's health
    insurance premiums from doubling. I hope we all agree on that
    as well. But we got to save people's lives. I am hoping we can
    do that.
        My question to you, Mr. McCormack, is will you commit to
    working with me, Senator Capito, Senator Scott, and others in
    Congress, as well as the auto industry, the drunk driving
    victims, survivors, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, to set us on
    a path to eliminate drunk driving?
        Mr. McCormack. Yes, absolutely, Senator. I would love to
    work with you in your office on that. Like I said, highway
    fatalities is something that I would love to see reduced at the
    department.
        Senator Lujan. Amen to that.
        Mr. McCormack. Thirty percent of all highway fatalities are
    related to drunk driving, as you said, and whatever we can do
    within our authorities to push forward a workable solution we
    should explore.
        Senator Lujan. Amen to that. I appreciate that, sir.
        Mr. Morse, I asked you earlier if you would carry out an
    illegal order. Your response was no. During your time as Deputy
    Director of the PPO did you personally write and send e-mails
    to a number of inspector generals that, quote, ``due to
    changing priorities,'' close quote, they were being, quote,
    ``terminated effectively immediately?'' Yes or no?
        Mr. Morse. Yes, I did send that e-mail.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Morse, yes or no, are you aware that the
    Inspector General Act requires any president removing an
    inspector general shall communicate in writing the substantive
    rationale not later than 30 days before the removal or
    transfer?
        Mr. Morse. On that question--and thank you, Senator, for
    that question--I would have to refer you to the Department of
    Justice, which has ongoing litigation on that matter.
        Senator Lujan. Is that the law today?
        Mr. Morse. I am sorry?
        Senator Lujan. Is the Inspector General Act the law today?
        Mr. Morse. I would have to defer you to the Department of
    Justice on that particular matter. That is subject to
    litigation.
        Senator Lujan. I will move on.
        Mr. Morse. I cannot comment on that.
        Senator Lujan. You could.
        Mr. Morse, yes or no, did the President provide the
    required 30-day notice prior to your e-mails firing the
    inspector generals or is that subject to the law----
        Mr. Morse. I would have to defer you to the Department of
    Justice and White House Counsel on that matter.
        Senator Lujan. So you do not know if he did or did not or
    is that--there is a question if he did or did not?
        Mr. Morse. I would have to refer you to the White House on
    that.
        Senator Lujan. All right.
        Mr. Morse, yes or no, did the White House conduct any kind
    of legal analysis to double check the law before sending these
    notices?
        Mr. Morse. I would have to refer you to the White House on
    that matter, Senator. Thank you for your question.
        Senator Lujan. Is this how you are going to conduct your
    responsibilities if you are confirmed?
        Mr. Morse. Senator, thank you for that. I look forward to
    working with you if I have the opportunity to be confirmed at
    the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that. At least you did not have
    to reference some lawsuit on that one, man.
        Mr. Morse, I do not have any more questions for you.
        Mr. McCormack, one of the areas that I hope that we can
    find some agreement, there is a lot of us that ride bicycles. I
    appreciate the family being here today. I am assuming you want
    your children to have a safe place to ride bicycles?
        Mr. McCormack. Absolutely, Senator.
        Senator Lujan. Yes. There were some grants canceled. I
    mean, the Chair asked a couple questions about these, but
    grants in different parts of the country to expand bike lanes.
    You are responsible for canceling some of those, correct?
        Mr. McCormack. I would not say that. No, Senator, I dispute
    that characterization of it. I think that if the------
        Senator Lujan. What are you responsible in doing that
    ultimately led to the cancellation of those?
        Mr. McCormack. What am I responsible in doing, Senator?
        Senator Lujan. What did you do?
        Mr. McCormack. Well, again, Senator, I am Deputy Chief of
    Staff of the department. There are significant priorities that
    I pursue on behalf of the department. As I explained during my
    minority staff interview, you know, we have taken a stance in
    the Department.
        We are trying to emphasize where we can vehicular traffic,
    making sure that we are not constraining vehicular or motorist
    capacity in order to add on bicycle lanes. So, really, it is
    not in opposition to bike or pedestrian infrastructure. I would
    say that the Department supports all means of transportation.
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that.
        Mr. McCormack. But, again, when it comes to constraining
    other capacity in order to enable that, we would prefer----
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that. Your response to Senator
    Cruz about the DEI and all the rest is that the previous
    administration carried out a responsibility or carried
    something out that Congress was silent on and that it was
    important for the Trump administration, Secretary Duffy and
    yourself to respond to that. Is that a fair characterization of
    your response to Senator Cruz?
        Mr. McCormack. My characterization was we wanted to return
    to the statutory intent of the program.
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that. My question is just to
    remind you, when you were asked about the shift you stated that
    previous administration's focus on bike paths and transit
    inadvertently restrictive was possible when it came to family
    size.
        Can you provide me with the data that your team used to
    determine that bike paths inadvertently restrict family size?
        Mr. McCormack. I think that what you are referring to is a
    quote I have in the New York Times in June.
        Senator Lujan. Yes, I will follow up--I will follow up in
    writing there.
        I am just hoping that we can find a way to do this. The DEI
    and all the rest is, you know, acronyms and all the rest--I
    will close up here, Mr. Chairman.
        Finding safe pathways for families to get to school
    probably promotes greater family size. It promotes safer places
    for people to get to commute. That is not partisan, and I hope
    that in some of these conversations that we just find a better
    way to get to these places is all that I am asking.
        You know, good luck to all of you. I pray for you. I hope
    we can all do better in this country including myself, and
    thanks for letting me go over quite a bit, Mr. Chairman. I
    appreciate that.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you, Senator Lujan.
        Senator Moreno.

                   STATEMENT OF HON. BERNIE MORENO,
                         U.S. SENATOR FROM OHIO

        Senator Moreno. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. McCormack, you said something at the beginning that I
    just want to probe on. I think it is important for my Democrat
    colleagues to hear this.
        You prioritize vehicle safety. Is that accurate? Would you
    say that--look, you are Northstar, you got to make cars safer.
    Is that true?
        Mr. McCormack. Absolutely, Senator.
        Senator Moreno. All right. And, obviously, there is vehicle
    affordability. Let us put that over here for a second. Senator
    Lujan mentioned different autonomous vehicle levels.
        There is zero, which means the car basically is old school,
    no assistance, level one, level two, level three, level four,
    level five, no steering wheel. You jump in a car and off it
    goes.
        Are you aware of how many vehicles had level one or higher
    autonomous technology back in 2012? I do not expect you to know
    so I am going to give you the answer. Three models, so one,
    two, three cars featured it as optional equipment.
        Why do I point out 2012 model year cars? Like, who cares?
    That is the average age of the car today in America. That means
    half the cars on the road are older than 2012.
        Since 2012, 16 million vehicles have been made with more
    than level one autonomy. So how is affordability and safety
    tying together? You make cars more expensive, people will keep
    their cars longer. Is that accurate?
        Mr. McCormack. That is what we have seen, Senator.
    Certainly, there have been--the age of a car has been pushed
    back in America. Some of the features that have been added
    certainly do add to the cost of the vehicle.
        Senator Moreno. And people do not have unlimited budgets
    when they come buy a car, right? They do not just go in and
    say, I will take every option. Would you agree?
        Mr. McCormack. I do agree with that.
        Senator Moreno. Would it surprise you that I got the VIN
    numbers of every one of my Democrat colleagues' vehicles and
    found that none of them bought any of the additional safety
    technologies on their cars?
        Mr. McCormack. I did not know that, Senator.
        Senator Moreno. So when you are actually shopping for a car
    with your own money, you do not buy the technology. But we are
    sitting here saying that this should be mandated for everybody
    else's cars, and what has been the result?
        We drove up the price of cars. Almost doubled in the last
    10 years. Car prices have doubled in the last 10 years. That is
    why cars are now 13 years old and why the fleet is less safe.
    Think about that.
        Now, back in 2012 the average miles per gallon on a car was
    24 miles per gallon. Is that good or bad?
        Mr. McCormack. It is the number, Senator.
        Senator Moreno. It has been--meaning it is not great.
        Mr. McCormack. Right.
        Senator Moreno. So you want to make cars more efficient
    because you also care about the planet. You would say, well,
    let us have cars be newer. That means more affordable cars.
        So here is my main question to you, Mr. McCormack. Are you
    committed to making cars more affordable so that the fleet is
    younger and it is safer?
        Mr. McCormack. Absolutely, Senator. Thank you for that
    question. I think that you have highlighted this irony, right,
    that as--we add some of these features to vehicles they bring
    the price higher and make them inaccessible to most people and,
    frankly, you know, it is not doing anybody a lot of good if
    they cannot buy that vehicle. The average price of a vehicle is
    $55,000 today. The average age of a used vehicle is 13 years,
    as you said.
        Senator Moreno. And all these technologies are even
    inaccessible to United States senators because when they go buy
    a car they do not have--they choose not to get these extra
    features that can cost thousands and thousands of dollars.
        And to a working class American, would you agree that the
    Northstar should be, like, if we can get a $25,000 car on the
    road that that would actually help make that happen?
        Mr. McCormack. A $25,000 new vehicle would be great,
    Senator.
        Senator Moreno. How is that possible when you are forcing
    car companies to put an impairment detection device in a car
    that would cost thousands of dollars?
        Mr. McCormack. It would----
        Senator Moreno. That, by the way, has a failure rate that
    is significantly high. That does not mean that you encourage
    drunk driving. It means that you have a thought process that
    says, I cannot force a technology that is going to cost
    thousands of dollars in a car that is going to prevent people
    from being able to afford cars.
        Because these technologies typically become available on
    very expensive automobiles because those customers there is a
    lot more price elasticity. Would you agree?
        Mr. McCormack. It does make sense to me, Senator.
        Senator Moreno. Let us talk about EVs, AVs. Last 4 years we
    had a reign of terror on electric vehicles.
        None of my Democrat colleagues have been able to answer the
    question for me as to why they voted to give millionaires who
    are leasing luxury electric vehicles $7,500 of government
    money. Sort of process that.
        Mr. McCormack, I ask you--you are a policy guy. Is that
    good public policy that a very wealthy person should be able to
    lease an electric Rolls Royce and have the Federal Government
    give them $7,500?
        Mr. McCormack. It seems like people who have significant
    resources probably should not receive a government benefit.
        Senator Moreno. Should not? I would say no. I would say
    zero. But yet we did that. I just do not understand why. I do
    not understand the rationale behind that.
        Mr. Edwards, I will shift to you. How stressful is it to be
    an air traffic controller?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator, thanks for that question. I do not
    have any personal experience doing that. That is a highly
    critical safety function----
        Senator Moreno. But you have been around--you have been
    around a lot.
        Mr. Edwards.--and I have been around aviation a long time.
    Yes, that is a stressful----
        Senator Moreno. So for those of us who have maybe attention
    issues, if you are sitting in a dark room in front of a
    computer and you have got to be totally laser focused because
    if you do not, you make a mistake you are going to have people
    die. That is a stressful job in and of itself.
        What does it feel like to an air traffic controller who has
    not gotten paid in over a month?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator, I would say that would be very
    difficult for anyone who has not been paid in a month. But it
    still----
        Senator Moreno. You lose focus for a second, right--you
    lose focus for a second because maybe your wife sent you a text
    message saying, hey, we cannot pay for our daughter's dance
    recital because we did not get a paycheck--can you tell her,
    what fills up in your brain?
        Mr. Edwards. It just--not the job at hand. So, Senator, it
    is very critical that an air traffic controller is able to
    remain focused.
        Senator Moreno. So the pleading--to my Democrat colleagues,
    can five of you find the humanity to reopen the government and
    allow these people to get paid? Everybody around here, back
    here, is not getting paid either.
        I do not know how you walk by your staffs knowing that you
    are responsible for any of them not getting a paycheck in a
    month. We can argue about policy but where is the humanity in
    that?
        And a last question--I know over time--I will punt it to
    you, Mr. Morse. Is there a worse designed airport than Dulles?
    Was it designed by some psychotic lunatic who hated people?
        Mr. Morse. Senator, I would have to agree with that. I
    think it is probably the worst designed airport in the country.
        Senator Moreno. Thank you.
        Mr. Morse. Thank you.
        Senator Cruz. Do either of you have the name of this
    psychotic lunatic?
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Cruz. Senator Duckworth.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY DUCKWORTH,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS

        Senator Duckworth. So I am going to avoid the partisan
    baiting and instead compliment our Chairman for how well he
    worked with the Ranking Member last year when we in this
    committee near unanimously passed the FAA Reauthorization Act
    and what it has done for this country.
        My question line is for Mr. McCormack. In the first half of
    this year alone airlines reported mishandling over 4,600
    wheelchairs and scooters, and I have said it time and again,
    even before I passed legislation requiring such reporting in
    2018, that damaging or breaking someone's wheelchair is like
    breaking their legs.
        When you break my wheelchair on a flight and you give me a
    substitute airline wheelchair, you have taken away my legs. I
    cannot push that airline wheelchair by myself. Someone has to
    push me into the bathroom. If they do not put me in the right
    place I cannot get to the toilet. I cannot do anything.
        So imagine if we broke over 1 percent of airline
    passengers' legs on an annual basis. It would rightfully be a
    national scandal and, yet, it is not when it comes to medical
    devices. It would dominate headlines across the country because
    such negligence would be outrageous and inexcusable.
        And yet, for wheelchair users such a nightmare scenario is
    not some outlandish hypothetical. It is our reality. It is a
    credible fear we confront every damn time we fly.
        Airlines have had decades to get their act together and
    they failed to change. That is why those of us in the
    disability community celebrated the promulgation last year of
    the groundbreaking and long overdue wheelchair rule.
        This rule implements critical provisions under the
    bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act that our Chairman was part
    of the team that led that effort in 2024 to help ensure
    passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with
    dignity.
        This rulemaking represented the U.S. Government finally
    taking meaningful action to tell the airlines enough is enough
    and that is why I am really angry that President Trump and
    Secretary Duffy allowed the airlines to bully them into
    submission and retreat on enforcing the wheelchair rule.
        Look, I get why no air carrier wants to be held accountable
    for mishandling wheelchairs or forced to invest in regular
    training for their employees, or customers who are empowered to
    book or rebook flights on aircraft that can accommodate their
    wheelchairs.
        I understand why airlines would not want any of that to
    happen and airlines are doing what they have done for decades.
        What is inexcusable is the Trump administration's weakness
    and Secretary Duffy's apparently willingness to let corporate
    lobbyists rewrite the wheelchair rule to their liking.
        Mr. McCormack, you have been serving as Deputy Chief of
    Staff with oversight over the department's policy, a
    responsibility that you will continue to have if confirmed as
    undersecretary.
        Yes or no, did you meet with passengers who use wheelchairs
    and other assistive devices to hear firsthand the horrors they
    have had to deal with when airlines effectively broke their
    legs and then dragged their feet on paying for timely repairs
    of those devices?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for the question, Senator.
        I have not met with any of the disability rights advocates
    but I have had meetings within the Department. No one has ever
    reached out to me for a meeting along those lines and I----
        Senator Duckworth. No one has--nobody has reached out to
    you? OK.
        Mr. McCormack. That is a fact.
        Senator Duckworth. Let me ask you this. Did you speak with
    any airline lobbyists prior to Secretary Duffy's decision to
    wave the white flag when it came to defending and enforcing the
    2024 wheelchair rule?
        Mr. McCormack. Senator, I have never----
        Senator Duckworth. Have you met with any airline----
        Mr. McCormack. I have never met with any airlines on any
    aviation consumer protection issues.
        Senator Duckworth. So you have not met with any airline
    lobbyists on this rule?
        Mr. McCormack. That is correct.
        Senator Duckworth. Very interesting. So you--the Trump
    administration claims to operate from a position of strength
    and yet, Secretary Duffy is letting the airlines bully him into
    submission when it comes to defending the civil rights and
    dignity of passengers with wheelchairs.
        Passengers with disabilities cannot afford for the Trump
    administration to screw them over by wasting precious time in
    refusing to defend and enforce the 2024 rule and, even worse,
    rewriting it.
        So if you have not met with any of the airline lobbyists
    and you have not met with any people with disabilities, why did
    you choose to suspend this rule?
        Mr. McCormack. Again, Senator--and thank you for the
    ability to clarify that--I mean, I have not--again, I have not
    worked on any of the aviation consumer protection issues. I am
    not in charge of all policy at the department.
        If confirmed, that would be a significant part of my role.
    It is not in my role as Deputy Chief of Staff. And so, again,
    it did come up in the minority staff interview that this is
    significant concern of the Committee staff as well as members
    of the Committee. But it has not been part of my job to date.
        Senator Duckworth. So you had nothing to do with it but you
    will have something to do with it in the future should you be
    confirmed? Is that your position?
        Mr. McCormack. Should I be confirmed, I would have more
    ability in the rulemaking space. I have not had any firsthand
    implications on this.
        Senator Duckworth. Should you be confirmed will you meet
    with me? Will you meet with disability advocates and will you
    meet with everyday ordinary Americans who use assistive devices
    when they are traveling?
        Mr. McCormack. Senator, I would love to work with you and
    your staff on the specific issue. As I mentioned, I know that
    people in the Department have been meeting with disability
    rights advocates as they have reached out for----
        Senator Duckworth. OK, you are not answering my question.
    Will you meet with me? Will you--and I will bring disability
    advocates and I will bring people in wheelchairs to come talk
    to you. Will you meet with us to talk about this rule?
        Mr. McCormack. Yes, happy to. Happy to.
        Senator Duckworth. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        Senator Blackburn.
        Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. McCormack, I want to come to you. You know, we are
    working on a surface transportation reauthorization here and
    this is something that we in Tennessee really look at as
    important to economic security, national security, and getting
    some much-needed certainty on infrastructure projects.
        We are a growing state, and the traffic around Nashville,
    Knoxville, and Chattanooga shows you how much we are growing
    and so I am looking at things like the formula grants that
    should be going to high growth areas like Tennessee.
        We are also looking at some cargo theft issues that are out
    there and, of course, innovation, which is a priority for us
    and with AI that innovation is going to be important. We are a
    logistics state.
        So I would love to hear what your priorities are?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for that question, Senator.
        Absolutely it is a priority of Secretary Duffy's and the
    Department to make sure that we are building infrastructure in
    growing areas.
        This is infrastructure that we want to stand the test of
    time, you know, exists for 100 years, you know, effectively. We
    want to make sure that we are--where we are going to put
    Federal resources we are going to do it in states like
    Tennessee that are growing, that they have needs that we can
    meet with Federal resources. So absolutely we want to build
    there.
        Senator Blackburn. That sounds great. One thing, I know
    that DOT has an advisory committee on human trafficking and
    they did a 2024 report and emphasized how the victims of
    commercial sex trafficking and forced labor are exploited
    across all modes of transportation.
        This is how they are being moved across our country. It is
    hundreds of billions of dollars in illicit profits that are
    made every single year trafficking human beings. Many of these
    are women and children and it is heartbreaking.
        And so I have the TRAFFIC Act and the TRAFFIC Act would
    ensure that individuals that are convicted of these human
    trafficking crimes are prohibited permanently from getting any
    type of professional transportation license by DOT and DHS, and
    I would like to hear from you how you are going to work with us
    as we look to combat this human trafficking that is using our
    roads, our rails, our rivers, our runways to transport these
    individuals?
        Mr. McCormack. Yes. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for
    your work on that important issue.
        I would, of course, love to work with you and your staff on
    that, any technical assistance that we can provide. I would
    just also say the Department does have programs related to
    human trafficking.
        We have an office that is geared to combat that illicit
    activity, whether it is raising awareness on certain
    transportation systems or providing some money in order to,
    again, raise awareness.
        It is part of an interdepartmental effort to, again,
    eradicate the scourge of human trafficking.
        Senator Blackburn. Yes.
        Mr. Morse, let me come to you. Sounds like you took a
    little heat earlier in the hearing but, you know, I think
    sometimes TDS comes out in full display by some of our friends.
        But I would like for you to talk a little bit about some of
    the real issues that are affecting the aviation sector and also
    the metro airports and that authority, and I do think that the
    airports around the Nation's capital have some unique issues.
        I think there was concern yesterday with the bomb threat at
    DCA, and we are looking at America 250, one of the reasons we
    need to get this government back open and get people paid and
    back to work.
        So there will be a bucket of issues that are going to be
    facing our airports as we move toward the 250 celebration and
    so touch on those specifically for the DCA and Dulles area, and
    I am certain some of those are repeated across the country?
        Mr. Morse. Thank you, Senator, for your question.
        I would like to comment first on your first comment, which
    is that I was very proud to be a part of the Trump
    administration and help hire over 3,200 people across the
    government. I think we broke every record at day 100, day 200,
    and the amount of people that have been confirmed by this body.
        So I am very appreciative for all the senators that--you
    know, their hard work to support the President's agenda.
        As far as the 250 celebration, I think I would also add to
    that the World Cup and the Olympics. Even though it is not
    directly within the D.C. Metropolitan Washington Airport
    Authority for the World Cup and the Olympics, there could still
    be a lot of connecting traffic that comes through those
    facilities.
        And I just want to assure you that I will work diligently
    with the rest of the board to make sure that, number one,
    safety is paramount but also that we have the facilities to be
    able to handle the amount of traffic and I think we have seen
    some improvements at DCA, and just like I mentioned before, I
    am dedicated to working on improvements at Dulles to handle an
    influx of inbound and outbound travelers.
        Senator Blackburn. Well, and Senator Moreno is trying to
    get the Grand Prix here in Washington, D.C., so that would add
    another event to your list.
        Mr. Morse. I am not aware of that, but I fully support
    that. I think that is a great idea.
        Senator Blackburn. He is all over it. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you.
        Senator Rosen.

                    STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

        Senator Rosen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I would like to
    ask unanimous consent for something to be submitted to the
    record because I would like to ask for Senator Moreno to submit
    to the Committee how he obtained our personal VIN numbers, what
    he plans to do with them, and it appears to be a clear
    overreach and violation of our privacy and not accurate as to
    what he said, especially about--I can talk about my own
    vehicles.
        And so I am asking for unanimous consent to find out what
    he is trying to find out about my automobile ownership?
        Senator Moreno. VIN numbers are displayed on the windshield
    of the car.
        Senator Rosen. So you--I am not going to get back and forth
    and use my time so you--you went into my garage----
        Senator Moreno. No.
        Senator Rosen.--in Las Vegas to find the VIN number on my
    car.
        Senator Moreno. You have a car that you drive here or do
    you walk?
        Senator Rosen. Mr. Chairman, I will talk to you after but I
    do not have a car that I drive here, sir.
        Senator Moreno. Do you drive in a car here?
        Senator Rosen. That is my staff's car, not mine.
        Senator Moreno. So you are not concerned about your staff's
    safety?
        Senator Rosen. I am not going to go back and forth with
    you. I am just telling you that I am asking unanimous consent
    that you submit to this committee what VIN numbers you have,
    whose privacy you violated, and what you plan to do with it?
        [The information referred to is not released to the
    public.]
        Senator Rosen. That is all. I would like to move on to
    international tourism now.
        Mr. McCormack, international visitors play a vital role in
    Nevada's economy, particularly in Las Vegas where global
    tourism directly supports tens of thousands of jobs across
    hospitality, entertainment, and related industries.
        However, recent challenges include visa processing delays,
    custom staffing shortages, and limited promotion of the United
    States as a travel destination hindered growth in this sector.
        If confirmed, what specific steps will you take to
    strengthen international tourism to U.S. destinations like
    Nevada? Ensure that the department's policies actively support
    states that rely heavily on tourism, and how will you measure
    the economic impact of such efforts?
        Mr. McCormack. Thank you for the question, Senator.
        Again, we are engaged in the department on--related to the
    international events that have come up earlier--the World Cup,
    FIFA, the Olympics.
        Senator Rosen. Do you have specific thoughts how you might
    streamline the visa and customs process so that we can put on
    all these international events?
        Mr. McCormack. Again, I am focused on the authorities
    within the Department of Transportation. Visa authorities are
    not in the Department of Transportation.
        Senator Rosen. Let me move on to Mr. Edwards then.
        I understand that in addition to your nomination to serve
    as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs
    you are currently serving as the Associate Administrator for
    the FAA's Office of Airports.
        That experience gives you a unique perspective on the
    infrastructure needs facing our Nation's airports. So I want to
    emphasize how important timely infrastructure investment is for
    states like Nevada.
        Projects such as the MoreRNO modernization at Reno Tahoe
    International are essential to expanding our capacity,
    improving passenger experience, and supporting our state's
    growing tourism and business travel economy.
        However, airports can only move forward if Federal funds,
    particularly airport improvement program dollars, well, that
    they are delivered on time because there is contracts and there
    is commitments, right?
        If we have delays in those fundings and going slow out the
    door can slow construction. It raises costs. It holds back our
    economic growth.
        So, Mr. Edwards, given your dual experience at the FAA and
    within the Department will you commit to ensuring that critical
    airport infrastructure funds that impact all of us in
    particularly huge amounts onto our economy every single day
    that they are distributed on time and the Department of
    Transportation continues to support airports like Reno Tahoe in
    advancing major modernization projects without unnecessary
    delays?
        Mr. Edwards. Thank you, Senator Rosen, for that question
    and pointing out the importance of those AIP funds.
        Absolutely, you have my commitment. That is part of the
    mandate of the airports office, which I joined about three
    weeks ago, and I cannot take credit for it but those that were
    working the last rounds of grants did an amazing job at getting
    a huge number of them out in a very short period of time.
        If I am remembering the data I have seen recently is that a
    lot of those grant dollars were not appropriated until May so
    it was a huge push to get them out and get them out quickly. So
    short answer now, yes, you have my commitment. I am happy to
    work with you.
        Senator Rosen. Airports are critical to our economy so
    modernizing, moving all of this forward, really makes a huge
    difference to our economic growth.
        I am going to stick with you for a minute and talk about
    multimodal transportation because as the entertainment tourism
    capital of the world, Las Vegas economy depends on reliable
    connectivity, not just for air travel but also via ground
    transport that moves visitors efficiently from airports to
    hotels, convention centers, and entertainment venues.
        So, Mr. Edwards, as you know, congestion, limited transit
    options, and infrastructure bottlenecks can directly impact the
    visitor experience and ultimately our state's growth, every
    state's growth.
        If confirmed, how would your office ensure that Federal
    transportation and aviation policies support coordinated
    multimodal infrastructure planning that enhances connectivity
    for travelers, it strengthens the tourism economy, and
    maximizes the return on Federal investments for states like
    Nevada?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator Rosen, thank you for bringing that
    topic up.
        Admittedly, today I will not purport to be a subject matter
    expert on multimodal transportation given my aviation focus.
        However, I recognize the point that you are making is very
    significant, especially with the upcoming USA 250, the World
    Cup, LA28, and then sprinkle in there the--you know, the
    upcoming advanced air mobility modes that are going to be added
    to our infrastructure.
        So I think thinking holistically about that is exactly what
    needs to be done, obviously with safety in mind. We have to
    figure out how to insert all these new opportunities to move
    people with eVTOLs and electric aircraft and move them in and
    out of airports and connect them to multimodal transportation
    hubs.
        Senator Rosen. Because moving people--we get them to the
    airport but we want them to come back. But in between they need
    to go somewhere to work or go on vacation, do whatever business
    they have. It is important that all of that is coordinated.
        So I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Edwards. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Cruz. Thank you. Senator Moreno has asked for a
    moment.
        Senator Moreno. I just need--a real quick question for Mr.
    Edwards.
        But before I do, as somebody who has been here 10 months I
    think what we just saw was exactly classic Washington, D.C.
        In other words, the car that I drive should be safe. The
    car that my staff drives, who cares about them? I get a
    paycheck.
        Senator Rosen. I object to you stalking my car and my staff
    to find the VIN numbers to present to this committee. Why are
    you doing there? What are you going to do with them?
        It is an invasion of our privacy. If you came and asked me
    for my VIN I will tell you what I have in my car.
        Senator Moreno. It is on the--it is on the--it is visible
    from the outside of the car.
        Senator Rosen. So you went and followed me.
        Senator Moreno. Mr. Chairman, is this my time or should I--
    --
        Senator Rosen. You went and followed me to see who drives
    me and write down their VIN number.
        Senator Moreno. Can I reclaim my time here?
        Senator Rosen. You interrupted me. You are attacking me.
    You watched me go to see who drives me, writing down their VIN
    number so you could find out what they have. That seems a
    little creepy. That seems a little creepy.
        Senator Moreno. No, just to expose the hypocrisy. Much
    like, for example, the fact that you----
        Senator Rosen. Expose the hypocrisy? Come and ask me about
    my car?
        Senator Moreno.--that you get paid--you get a paycheck but
    you walk by--you get a paycheck.
        Senator Rosen. I am donating my paycheck, sir, and I am--
    would happily be on legislation not to give back.
        Senator Moreno. How about your staff? What do you say to
    them? What do you say to the staff? What do you say to the TSA
    workers?
        What do you say to the air traffic controllers? What do you
    say to the military? What do you say to the Capitol police?
        Senator Rosen. I am saying to you is this is a Republican
    shut down, my friend. You are in control of the White House,
    you are in control of the House and you are in control of the
    Senate.
        Senator Moreno. Does it take 60 votes? Does it take 60
    votes?
        Senator Rosen. And if you went home to a food bank instead
    of going to Mar-a-Lago----
        Senator Moreno. Does it take 60 votes?
        Senator Rosen.--to eat at a gold-plated dinner while people
    are starving you might see and hear your constituents, sir.
        Senator Moreno. Does it take 60? Does it----
        Senator Rosen. You are blind to the suffering of your
    people.
        Senator Moreno. Does it take 60 votes? Does it take 60
    votes?
        Senator Rosen. It takes you listening and coming to the
    table to have a discussion.
        Senator Moreno. It does take 60 votes.
        Senator Rosen. If you want to have this come talk to me in
    private, sir.
        Senator Moreno. So it does take 60 votes, for the record,
    just so that we are clear on the reporting so there is no
    misinformation. It does take 60.
        Back to you, Mr. Edwards. A question about airports. In
    Cleveland we have an airport called Burke Lakefront Airport.
    Some people in the community say that the airport is not
    necessary and they might have a plan.
        The city and the county might have a plan in which they
    would request that you take a look at closing that airport for
    redevelopment.
        I am not asking you to opine on that. My question to you is
    would you be willing to work with me and the local officials,
    assuming they have a good, strong plan, to get that airport
    repurposed? Are you willing to have that conversation, come to
    Ohio, meet with the stakeholders?
        Mr. Edwards. Senator, yes, I am. When the time is
    appropriate and the appropriate plans are made, I am happy to
    support the effort.
        Senator Moreno. And a last question and I promise, Mr.
    Chairman, I am done.
        Mr. Morse, would it surprise you that when some of these
    nominees walk into our Democrat colleagues' office they say, we
    like you, you are hyper-qualified, you do a good job, you
    strike me as a good person but I cannot vote for you because we
    have decided we are going to fight President Trump?
        Mr. Morse. Yes, that is if they grant a meeting, which is
    already hard enough to get.
        Senator Moreno. So do not even meet and just an automatic
    reflective no. You have to go through this charade.
        Mr. Chairman, I hope that we get to a point where the
    hypocrisy leaves D.C., but I think a pink unicorn may fly
    through the room before that happens.
        Senator Cruz. Well, if Senator Moreno would be open,
    perhaps, to a couple of questions just to clarify the record
    because we had a bit of Washington play acting just a moment
    ago.
        Senator Moreno, is it accurate that you and virtually every
    other Republican have voted 14 times to reopen the government?
        Senator Moreno. We voted 14 times to end debate so that we
    could actually vote to open the government, yes.
        Senator Cruz. And is it accurate that Senator Rosen and
    virtually every other Democrat has voted 14 times to keep the
    government closed?
        Senator Moreno. Yes. Her colleague from Nevada has bravely
    fought Chuck Schumer and has voted to open the government, so
    has John Fetterman and Angus King from Maine. So I applaud
    three Democrats for actually having the decency, the humanity,
    to be able to pay government workers, pay our military, provide
    Head Start, provide SNAP benefits.
        Senator Cruz. And is it accurate that Democrat Senator John
    Fetterman has repeatedly said this is a Democrat shutdown
    caused by Chuck Schumer and the Democrats?
        Senator Moreno. Yes, and I find it ironic that my Democrat
    colleagues will go to lobbyist dinners tonight which they get
    fed steak while people and their own constituents in their own
    states will not know where to get money to buy their groceries
    or in the case of SNAP recipients not be able to buy basic
    goods.
        Senator Cruz. Is it also accurate that during the Biden
    presidency 13 times Republicans worked with Democrats to pass a
    clean continuing resolution?
        Senator Moreno. You would know better, Chairman, but I do
    not think there has ever been a time in U.S. history where a
    clean continuing resolution has been voted down by either
    party.
        Senator Cruz. And is it accurate as well that CNN has fact-
    checked multiple Democrats who have insisted this is not a
    clean CR and CNN--sometimes called the Clinton News Network,
    sometimes called the Communist News Network--has fact-checked
    the Democrats and said, no, this is in fact a clean CR that
    your party is voting against?
        Senator Moreno. Yes, although I do wonder whether they have
    actually read the legislation because that evidently is
    something that is optional.
        But I would assume if they have read it or took the time to
    read it, they would realize it is their budget that they passed
    and they are blocking this through a procedural technicality
    that prohibits us from actually taking a vote to reopen the
    government.
        Senator Cruz. The record will reflect that every one of the
    questions we just engaged in is objectively true and it says
    something that not a single Democrat is here to contest it,
    that their approach to this is instead to scream and yell while
    consistently voting to keep the government shut down and to
    deny pay to thousands of Federal workers including within this
    committee's jurisdiction some 50,000 TSA agents who are going
    to work right now.
        They missed their last paycheck. They are not being paid,
    including some 14,000 air traffic controllers who are going to
    work right now. They are not being paid, and the consequence we
    are seeing delays at airports all across the country.
        We are seeing thousands of delays. We are seeing thousands
    of flight cancellations. We are seeing ground stops in major
    airports, and I would note one senior Democrat aide told
    Politico this shutdown will continue until planes start falling
    from the sky.
        For a committee with jurisdiction over aviation safety that
    is a horrifying statement and, yet, for our Democrat colleagues
    apparently they agree with those sentiments.
        I have 28 letters of support from various organizations for
    the nominations of Mr. McCormack, Mr. Edwards, and Mr. Morse. I
    ask unanimous consent that these letters be inserted into the
    hearing record.
        Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information referred to follows:]

                                                           NBAA
                                       Washington, DC, October 29, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of the National Business Aviation Association and our
    11,000 members, I am pleased to express our strong support for the
    nomination of Mr. Dan Edwards to serve as the Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of
    Transportation.
        Mr. Edwards is an accomplished aviation professional whose deep
    understanding of both domestic and international aviation issues
    uniquely qualifies him for this critical role. Throughout his
    distinguished career as a pilot for the USAF, CEO of a MRO, and
    business leadership positions, he has demonstrated a steadfast
    commitment to advancing safety, efficiency, and innovation in the
    national airspace system. His broad experience, spanning government
    service, policy development, and industry collaboration, reflects a
    valued combination of technical insight and diplomatic skill.
        As the Department continues to guide the integration of emerging
    technologies, strengthen global aviation partnerships, and support the
    diverse network of airports and operators that connect communities
    across the country and around the world, Mr. Edwards' leadership will
    be instrumental. He is widely respected for his balanced approach, his
    commitment to collaboration, and his ability to build consensus among
    stakeholders with differing perspectives.
        The business aviation community looks forward to working with Mr.
    Edwards to ensure that U.S. aviation remains a global leader in safety,
    access, and innovation. We urge the Committee to act favorably and
    expeditiously on his nomination.
                Sincerely,
                                                      Ed Bolen,
                                                     President and CEO,
                                National Business Aviation Association.
                                     ______

                                                           NBAA
                                       Washington, DC, November 4, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of the National Business Aviation Association and our
    11,000 members, I am writing to express our strong support for the
    nomination of Mr. Ryan McCormack to serve as the Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
        Mr. McCormack brings an uncommon blend of policy acumen,
    operational insight, and a results-driven approach to public service.
    His years of experience shaping transportation initiatives have been
    marked by an ability to bridge perspectives, modernize frameworks, and
    advance policies that keep our Nation's transportation system both safe
    and globally competitive.
        He has demonstrated a deep appreciation for the role that aviation,
    and business aviation in particular, plays in connecting communities,
    sustaining jobs, and driving innovation. Mr. McCormack's pragmatic
    leadership style, coupled with his commitment to collaboration, ensures
    that stakeholders across the transportation spectrum are heard and that
    policy decisions are grounded in both data and real-world experience.
        Further, Mr. McCormack's longstanding professional relationship
    with Secretary Duffy will serve the Department and the public
    exceptionally well. Having worked together in multiple settings, the
    two share a strong foundation of trust, accountability, and shared
    purpose. Mr. McCormack's deep understanding of how to bridge
    congressional priorities with regulatory execution will enable him to
    translate policy goals into practical, well-coordinated outcomes. That
    unique perspective will be invaluable in advancing the Department's
    mission with clarity and cohesion.
        As the Department confronts rapid technological change, evolving
    workforce needs, and an increasingly complex infrastructure
    environment, Mr. McCormack's steady judgment and policy expertise will
    be invaluable. NBAA is confident that, under his leadership, the Office
    of the Under Secretary for Policy will continue to advance solutions
    that strengthen America's mobility and competitiveness.
        We urge the Committee to move swiftly to confirm Mr. McCormack's
    nomination.
                Sincerely,
                                                      Ed Bolen,
                                                     President and CEO,
                                    National Business Aviation Association.
                                     ______

                                                            UPS
                                                        Washington, DC.

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science
    and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell,

        I am writing today to express my recommendation for Trent Morse to
    serve on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports
    Authority. Trent's extensive background and breadth of experience makes
    him an exemplary candidate for this important role.
        I've had the opportunity to work with Trent on several occasions.
    His combination of strategic vision, policy expertise, and a
    collaborative spirit aligns perfectly with the objectives of the Board
    of Directors. His track record is a testament to his capability to
    contribute meaningfully to the Board's success.
        I am confident that Trent will bring valuable perspectives and
    dedicated service to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
    Board of Directors.
                Sincerely,
                                                 Michael Kiely,
                                                             President,
                                             UPS Global Government Affairs.
                                     ______

                                                         United
                                       Washington, DC, October 31, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of United Airlines, I am writing in support of the
    nomination of Mr. Trent Morse to serve as a Member of the Board of
    Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA),
    which oversees Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald
    Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
        Trent's previous experience at the U.S. Department of
    Transportation and as a member of the White House senior staff will
    make him a valuable member of the MWAA Board of Directors. During his
    time in the White House, Trent was a thoughtful and responsive liaison
    to United and other stakeholders seeking to engage with the
    Administration's new appointees.
        MWAA is a valued partner and both DCA and IAD are important to
    United Airlines' growing domestic and international network. With new
    and existing international flights to destinations across Europe,
    Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia, United's IAD hub
    provides a gateway from the Washington-capital region to the rest of
    the world. Should he be confirmed by the United States Senate, United
    looks forward to working with Trent, the MWAA Board of Directors, and
    the Trump Administration to continue to improve IAD operations and
    infrastructure and strengthen IAD's status as a world class domestic
    and international airport.
        Thank you for your consideration of Trent's nomination to serve as
    an MWAA Board Member. Should you have any questions, please do not
    hesitate to reach out to me or my team.
                Sincerely,
                                                Terri Fariello,
                                              Executive Vice President,
                                 Government Affairs & Global Public Policy.
                                     ______

                     Air Line Pilots Association, International
                                           McLean, VA, November 3, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chair,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell.
    Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chair Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of the more than 80,000 professional airline pilots
    represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), I
    am writing to express our support for the nomination of Ryan McCormack
    for Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy.
        Serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. McCormack has engaged
    thoughtfully with stakeholders, including ALPA. He has a long history
    of public service and has impressive knowledge of transportation
    policy. He has been collaborative and responsive in his current
    position, and we look forward to continuing to work with Mr. McCormack
    on critical aviation policy matters. I am confident with his skills and
    experience he will be an excellent Under Secretary.
        ALPA strongly supports Mr. McCormack's nomination to serve as Under
    Secretary of Transportation for Policy. We look forward to his
    consideration before the Senate Commerce Committee, and his swift
    confirmation by the full Senate.
                Sincerely,
                                         Captain Jason Ambrosi,
                                                             President.
                                     ______

                                                United Airlines
                                       Washington, DC, October 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of United Airlines, I am pleased to write in support of
    the nomination of Mr. Ryan McCormack to serve as Under Secretary for
    Transportation Policy at the United States Department of
    Transportation. Throughout his time serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to
    DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, Ryan has been thoughtful and responsive.
        With over a decade of experience on Capitol Hill, including as a
    Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ryan has worked
    extensively on a variety of legislative policies, including
    transportation and infrastructure. Ryan has been a solid representative
    as we have sought to engage with the Secretary and his team on key
    policy and operational issues impacting our airline. We especially
    appreciate that Ryan has closely worked with United and the Federal
    Aviation Administration to help improve operations at Newark Liberty
    International Airport during his time in the Office of the Secretary.
        Thank you for your consideration of Ryan's nomination to serve as
    Under Secretary for Transportation Policy. Should you have any
    questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my team.
                Sincerely,
                                               Steve Morrissey,
                                                        Vice President,
                                     International Regulatory & Policy.
                                     ______

                                 American Trucking Associations
                                       Washington, DC, November 4, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    United States Senate Committee on
    Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member
    United States Senate Committee on
    Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman and Ranking Member:

        On behalf of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), I am writing
    to you today in support of the nomination of Ryan McCormack to serve as
    Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy at the U.S. Department of
    Transportation (USDOT).
        Our nation's 3.6 million professional truck drivers are the
    linchpin of our economy. They move more than 72% of the nation's
    freight by tonnage and are the sole mode of freight transportation
    serving more than 80% of American communities. The trucking industry
    has appreciated the willingness of the Trump Administration to listen
    to truckers' concerns. Through multiple rulemakings and enforcement
    actions, USDOT is making significant progress to ensure that only safe,
    qualified drivers are moving freight on American highways. Mr.
    McCormack has been a leader in those efforts, and we strongly support
    his confirmation by the Senate.
        Mr. McCormack has served USDOT with distinction as Secretary
    Duffy's Deputy Chief of Staff. His position within the current USDOT,
    combined with his deep well of knowledge of the legislative process
    derived from his time on Capitol Hill, makes him well suited to help
    negotiate, advance, and implement important reforms that will further
    enhance the safety of our transportation network. Additionally, Mr.
    McCormack's background and extensive experience will be especially
    beneficial as we look towards the 2026 surface transportation
    reauthorization effort.
        As the largest national trade organization representing 8.4 million
    men and women working in the trucking industry, including 3.6 million
    professional truck drivers, ATA strongly encourages the Committee to
    swiftly approve the nomination of Mr. McCormack so that he can be
    confirmed by the full Senate at the earliest opportunity.
                Sincerely,
                                                   Chris Spear,
                                                     President and CEO,
                                            American Trucking Associations.
                                     ______

                                                      Southwest
                                       Washington, DC, November 3, 2025

    Senator Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.
    Senator Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member
    Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        Southwest Airlines is pleased to submit this letter in strong
    support of the nomination of Dan Edwards for the position of Assistant
    Secretary of Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department
    of Transportation.
        The role of Assistant Secretary of Aviation and International
    Affairs is critical to shaping U.S. aviation policy, both domestically
    and globally. This position helps guide the Department's efforts to
    promote a safe, competitive, and innovative air transportation system,
    and ensures that U.S. airlines can compete on a fair and level global
    playing field.
        Mr. Edwards brings the ideal blend of experience, judgment, and
    leadership to this important role. His distinguished two-decade career
    in the U.S. Air Force reflects a lifelong commitment to public service
    and operational excellence. Combined with his broad experience in
    business leadership and deep understanding of aviation as both a
    civilian and military pilot, Mr. Edwards possesses the technical
    expertise, strategic insight, and integrity required to navigate the
    complex issues that define today's aviation industry.
        Throughout his career, Mr. Edwards has demonstrated the ability to
    bring people together to solve difficult problems, a quality that will
    serve the Department and the broader aviation community well. His
    experience gives him a unique perspective on the intersection of
    aviation safety, innovation, and economic competitiveness-all vital
    priorities for the future of our national airspace system.
        For these reasons, Southwest Airlines strongly supports Dan
    Edwards's nomination. We are confident that his leadership will
    contribute meaningfully to strengthening the aviation sector and
    maintaining the United States' role as the global standard-bearer in
    aviation safety and competitiveness.
                Sincerely,
                                                 Christa Lucas,
                                   Vice President Governmental Affairs,
                                                     Southwest Airlines Co.
                                     ______

                          Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chair,
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate.
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chair Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, I am honored to
    write to you in strong support of Dan Edwards to serve as Assistant
    Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department
    of Transportation (DOT). We believe Mr. Edwards is an exceptional
    candidate whose experience, integrity, and dedication to aviation,
    safety, and innovation make him a tremendous asset to the nation's
    aviation sector.
        In Mr. Edwards' time at DOT, he has already demonstrated a strong
    grasp of the complex issues facing the industry in the U.S. as well as
    around the world. We believe he understands the importance of leading
    the DOT aviation team focused enhancing competition, on serving the
    most remote parts of our country, as well as positioning the U.S. as
    the global aviation leader. Mr. Edwards' openness to stake holder
    engagement and his deep under standing of the unique challenges facing
    the aviation industry position him as an outstanding choice for this
    important role.
        We respectfully urge the Committee to give full and favorable
    consideration to Dan Edwards' nomination.
                Sincerely,
                                               Megan Ouellette,
                                      VP Public and Government Affairs.
                                     ______

                                              American Airlines
                                                     September 26, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz,

        On behalf of American Airlines, I am writing to express our
    enthusiastic support for the nomination of Daniel J. Edwards to serve
    as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the
    U.S. Department of Transportation. His business leadership, technical
    expertise, and operational experience will serve the Department well in
    its role ensuring the preeminence and global competitiveness of the
    U.S. aviation industry and broader transportation sector.
        Mr. Edwards' professional achievements demonstrate his capabilities
    and capacity to succeed in the Assistant Secretary role. He has an
    extensive background in the aerospace and defense industries, leading
    organizations in the public, private, and military spheres. Most
    recently, prior to joining DOT, he served as CEO of privately held
    businesses in aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as
    supply chain and distribution. Mr. Edwards also has leadership
    experience with aviation infrastructure, such as with technologies
    providing crucial situational awareness, command and control
    capabilities, and integrated data in real-time. His background includes
    working with FAA to develop safety technologies to address aircraft
    runway overruns at airports in the United States and internationally.
        Moreover, Mr. Edwards has direct operational experience. He served
    over 23 years in the United States Air Force (USAF) and USAF Reserves
    as both a KC-10 pilot and airfield civil engineer. He has flown over
    100 combat missions, holds type ratings in the DC-10 and 757/767, and
    has accumulated over 4,000 flight hours as both a military and
    commercial pilot. His commercial pilot career includes serving at
    American Airlines.
        In sum, Mr. Edwards embodies the vision, technical expertise, and
    strategic leadership necessary to advance U.S. aviation interests on
    the global stage. His proven ability to bridge operational realities
    with forward-looking policy makes him an outstanding choice for
    Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs.
        We urge his swift confirmation and look forward to the positive
    impact his leadership will bring to the Department of Transportation
    and the Nation's aviation sector.
                Sincerely,
                                                Stephen Neuman,
                                                 Senior Vice President,
                                     Global Head of Government Affairs.

    cc: The Honorable Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member, Senate Commerce
    Committee
                                     ______

                  Airports Council International--North America
                                       Washington, DC, October 31, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chair
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chair Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        I write in support of two nominees for leadership positions within
    the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT): Daniel J. Edwards to be
    Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs and Ryan
    McCormack to be Under Secretary for Policy. These positions are
    critical to U.S. airports, and we urge your favorable recommendation of
    both nominees.
        Airports Council International--North America (ACI-NA) is the trade
    association representing entities that own and operate commercial-
    service airports in the United States and Canada. Our 300+ member
    airports--which facilitate the safe, secure, and efficient movement of
    goods and millions of passengers each day--collectively support more
    than 12.8 million jobs in our local communities and contribute more
    than $1.8 trillion in annual economic impact. U.S. airports serve as
    gateways to our country, facilitating international connectivity for
    American business, travelers, and supply chains. Airports pledge to
    support DOT to bolster aviation safety, promote economic growth, and
    enhance the international competitiveness of U.S. aviation.
        My staff and I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Edwards in
    recent months in his role as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at
    DOT. He is committed to collaborating with industry to improve airports
    and our overall aviation system. His experience, from service in the
    military to leadership in private sector aviation maintenance, makes
    him uniquely qualified for this role.
        Likewise, Mr. McCormack's experience in the legislative and
    executive branches will help guide the Department's policy and
    strategic direction as new challenges and opportunities emerge, from
    the scalability of advanced air mobility to demands to further link
    transportation infrastructure to economic growth and opportunity in our
    country.
        Thank you for your consideration of these nominees. I appreciate
    the continued opportunity to work with DOT and the Committee to promote
    excellence at airports and in our aviation industry.
                Sincerely,
                                                Kevin M. Burke,
                                                     President and CEO,
                          Airports Council International--North America
                                     ______

                                    Commercial Space Federation
                                       Washington, DC, November 3, 2025
    Chairman Ted Cruz,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Ranking Member Maria Cantwell,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of the Commercial Space Federation (CSF), the voice of
    the commercial space industry, I am writing to convey CSF's support for
    the confirmation of Mr. Ryan McCormack as Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy.
        Mr. McCormack is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S.
    Department of Transportation, and he has served in leadership positions
    focused on policy and public affairs throughout his career. His
    experience and dedication to public service more than qualifies him to
    serve as the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. In
    particular, his knowledge of commercial space licensing and other space
    activities will guide the Department of Transportation as the cadence
    of commercial space launch and reentry operations continue to grow and
    demand for licensing activities overseen by the Department increases.
        CSF thanks the Committee for considering this letter of support for
    Mr. McCormack to serve as the Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy and looks forward to continuing to work with him to ensure that
    the United States remains the global leader in space.
                Sincerely,
                                                  Dave Cavossa,
                                                             President,
                                               Commercial Space Federation.
                                     ______

                                                      Atlas Air
                                            Miami, FL, October 30, 2025
    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce,
    Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        I am writing on behalf of Atlas Air to express our strong support
    of Daniel J. Edwards, President Trump's nominee to serve as Principal
    Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at
    the Department of Transportation (DOT).
        Atlas Air is a global leader in outsourced aviation logistics,
    connecting customers to more than 330 stations in over 80 countries.
    The DOT Office of Aviation and International Affairs plays a vital role
    in shaping the policy and regulatory environment that enables our
    company and other U.S. cargo airlines to compete and operate globally.
        Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Edwards has demonstrated
    an extraordinary command of the complex issues shaping global aviation.
    He brings decades of transportation policy experience and a proven
    track record of tackling tough issues. Additionally, his more than 23
    years in the U.S. Air Force reflects his commitment to public service
    and understanding for how aviation impacts U.S. national security and
    safety.
        I am confident that his unique combination of private sector
    expertise, public service, and operational understanding will serve the
    Department and the broader aviation community well.
        For these reasons, I wholeheartedly support Daniel Edwards's
    nomination and encourage the Committee's favorable consideration.
                Sincerely,
                                                 Michael Steen,
                                               Chief Executive Officer.
                                     ______

                                                         United
                                      Washington, DC, September 3, 2025
    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        I am writing to express support for Dan Edwards' nomination to
    serve as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at
    the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). I have found Mr.
    Edwards to be knowledgeable, engaged, hard-working and responsive on
    the major issues affecting the aviation sector during his time at U.S.
    DOT. He is an important member of Secretary Duffy's team.
        As a business executive, pilot, and civil engineer, Dan brings a
    wealth of experience to the Department's Office of Aviation and
    International Affairs. Dan is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy
    and served in the United States Air Force for over 23 years. In
    addition, Dan holds over 4,000 flight hours as a military and
    commercial pilot. His prior service affords an important perspective on
    the complexities and intricacies of aviation operations and policy in
    the United States and around the world.
        On a personal note, we at United have appreciated Dan's hands-on
    involvement in permanently remedying the air traffic deficiencies
    facing Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). He has immersed
    himself in the matter, including making multiple visits to EWR
    immediately following the disruptions earlier this summer to listen to
    all perspectives for himself and drive positive changes.
        Thank you for consideration of my views as you deliberate Dan
    Edwards' nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs.
                Sincerely,
                                               Steve Morrissey,
                                                        Vice President,
                                     International Regulatory & Policy.
                                     ______

                                                JetBlue Airways
                               Long Island City, NY, September 10, 2025

    Majority Leader John Thune,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.
    Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer,
    United States Senate,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Majority Leader Thune and Minority Leader Schumer:

        On behalf of the more than 23,000 crewmembers of JetBlue Airways,
    New York's low fare, hometown airline, I am writing to urge the
    Senate's swift consideration and confirmation of Daniel Edwards of
    North Carolina to the position of Assistant Secretary of Transportation
    for Aviation and International Affairs.
        As the Nation's leading low fare, full-service airline, JetBlue
    faces challenges as a five percent player in a field dominated by four
    carriers with more than eighty percent of the domestic marketplace.
    Scale matters and JetBlue's ability continue as a catalyst ensuring the
    largest carriers face robust price and product competition is critical
    to a competitive aviation marketplace. JetBlue has shown that when it
    enters a market, fares fall and traffic increases across all carriers
    but when we, on occasion, exit a market, fares increase significantly
    and conversely, traffic levels fall.
        In leading the Department of Transportation's office responsible
    for ensuring a competitive aviation marketplace, our meetings with Mr.
    Edwards make clear he fully understands how important it is to have a
    healthy and robust set of competitors for aviation consumers to choose
    from. As such, we fully support his confirmation to lead this important
    office.
        Thank you for your consideration and please do not hesitate to
    contact me to further discuss if helpful to your deliberations.
                Sincerely,
                                                Robert C. Land,
                          Senior Vice President for Government Affairs,
                                         and Associate General Counsel.

    cc: Chairman Ted Cruz, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, Chairman Jerry
    Moran and Ranking Member Tammy Duckworth
                                     ______

                                          Advanced Air Mobility
                                         Manassas, VA, October 29, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz, Chairman,
    Hon. Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        I write in support of the nomination of Daniel J. Edwards to serve
    as Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International
    Affairs.
        The emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry is at a critical
    inflection point. Transformative airplanes like Electra's EL9 Ultra
    Short are ready to come to market. U.S. leadership in this global
    domain will create thousands of new, high-paying jobs for the country's
    aerospace and defense workers. President Trump's Executive Order
    creating the eIPP (eVTOL Integration Pilot Program) is a critical step
    forward to enable this progress. Mr. Edwards is the right leader to
    bring experience, insight, and passion to this important effort, and to
    ensure that the eIPP succeeds beyond all expectation.
        Mr. Edwards has already become a critical part of Secretary Duffy's
    U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) team, leading the office in an
    acting capacity. His leadership has seamlessly built on his adjacent
    roles leading Airports at the FAA and other components at DOT. He also
    offers the country decades of aerospace experience for this role, to
    include his 23 years of distinguished flying service in the U.S. Air
    Force and his many years as a CEO and senior executive leaders across
    several aerospace businesses.
        From my direct interaction with Mr. Edwards and his team, I have
    full confidence that he is the right leader for the job. Thank you for
    the Committee's prompt consideration of his nomination and Electra's
    views.
                Sincerely,
                                                  B. Marc Allen
                                                Chief Executive Officer
                                                         Electra.aero, Inc.
                                     ______

                                           Airlines for America
                                       Washington, DC, October 30, 2025

    Senator Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee
    Washington, DC.
    Senator Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Commerce, Science,
    and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of the members of Airlines for America (A4A), I am
    writing in support of Dan Edwards' nomination to serve as Assistant
    Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department
    of Transportation (U.S. DOT).
        The position of Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International
    Affairs is critical for the health and competitiveness of our Nation's
    aviation system. As a business executive, pilot and civil engineer, Dan
    will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Department's
    Office of Aviation and International Affairs. Dan is a graduate of the
    U.S. Air Force Academy and served in the United States Air Force for
    over 23 years, demonstrating his commitment to public service. As a
    military and commercial pilot, Dan has flown over 4,000 flight hours,
    giving him a real-life understanding and knowledge of the National
    Airspace System (NAS). This service uniquely qualifies him to serve in
    this position as he understands the importance and nuances of aviation
    policy and operations from both a domestic and international
    perspective.
        A4A strongly supports Dan Edward's nomination and urges his swift
    confirmation.
                Sincerely,
                                         Christopher T. Sununu,
                                                     President and CEO,
                                                      Airlines For America.
                                     ______

                                             The Boeing Company
                                        Arlington, VA, November 4, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    United States Senator,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    United States Senator,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of The Boeing Company, I want to express our support for
    the confirmation of Dan Edwards to serve as Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of
    Transportation. As a former U.S. Air Force pilot with extensive private
    sector experience in aviation, Mr. Edwards is well-qualified to serve
    in this position. He has demonstrated thoughtful leadership, extensive
    industry knowledge, and a genuine dedication to advancing the global
    competitiveness of American aviation.
        Mr. Edwards possesses a unique combination of public service and
    private sector aviation leadership experience that gives him valuable
    insight into the challenges and opportunities facing U.S. aviation and
    industries that support it. His practical leadership style, coupled
    with these experiences, make him ideally suited to guide policies that
    will strengthen aviation safety and innovation while reinforcing
    America's leadership in aviation manufacturing.
        We appreciate the Committee's commitment to advancing Mr. Edwards'
    nomination for this critical role and support his Senate confirmation.
    Thank you for your consideration and continued leadership in advancing
    American aviation.
                Sincerely,
                                                  Jeff Shockey,
                                              Executive Vice President,
                                                     Government Operations,
                                 Global Public Policy & Corporate Strategy.
                                     ______

                                      Cargo Airline Association
                                       Washington, DC, October 31, 2025
    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of the Cargo Airline Association (CAA)\1\, I write to
    express our support for the nomination of Daniel J. Edwards to be
    Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S.
    Department of Transportation (DOT).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ CAA Board members include: ABX Air, Inc., Atlas Air, Inc.,
    FedEx, and UPS Airlines. Associate members include: Amazon, DHL
    Express, and Kalitta Air.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The air cargo community has worked closely with Mr. Edwards in his
    current role as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs at DOT. His professionalism, decades of aviation
    expertise, and pragmatic leadership have already yielded meaningful
    results for cargo operations and the global competitiveness of American
    aviation.
        CAA particularly values Mr. Edwards' understanding of the air cargo
    ecosystem and his recognition of the importance of American leadership
    and defense of our international aviation agreements. He has been
    instrumental in advancing policies that strengthen the air cargo sector
    and enhance America's supply chain resilience.
        As the Committee considers his nomination, CAA respectfully urges
    your support for Mr. Edwards' nomination. His qualifications, industry
    insight, and proven track record of collaboration and partnership make
    him an outstanding choice to serve as the next Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs.
        Thank you for your continued commitment to ensuring the strength
    and safety of America's aviation system.
                Sincerely,
                                                  Lauren Beyer,
                                                             President,

    cc: Senator Jerry Moran, Chairman, Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and
    Innovation Senator Tammy Duckworth, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
    Aviation, Space, and Innovation
                                     ______

                  Airports Council International--North America
                                        Washington, DC, August 12, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        I write in support of the nomination of Daniel J. Edwards to be
    Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S.
    Department of Transportation. Mr. Edwards' leadership skills,
    experience, and commitment to partnership will be vital to the success
    of the department's mission.
        Airports Council International--North America (ACI-NA) is the trade
    association representing entities that own and operate commercial-
    service airports in the United States and Canada. Our 300+ member
    airports--which facilitate the safe, secure, and efficient movement of
    goods and millions of passengers each day--collectively support more
    than 12.8 million jobs in our local communities and contribute more
    than $1.8 trillion in annual economic impact. Our members also serve as
    gateways throughout the country to facilitate international
    connectivity for American business, travelers, and supply chains. We
    are committed to supporting the department in improving aviation
    safety, promoting economic growth, and bolstering the international
    competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry.
        In his acting capacity in this role, Mr. Edwards has met with my
    staff; in recent months. He has demonstrated a willingness to
    collaborate with industry to improve airports and our overall aviation
    system. This is the type of leadership we need. His experience, from
    service in the military to leadership in private sector aviation
    maintenance, makes him uniquely qualified for this role. His service to
    our country in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves bring bonafide
    experience and expertise to the U.S. Department of Transportation will
    serve our country well.
        I urge your prompt consideration of Mr. Edwards' nomination and am
    grateful for the continued opportunity to work together to promote
    American leadership in aviation at home and globally.
        Sincerely,
                                                Kevin M. Burke,
                                                     President and CEO,
                             Airports Council International--North America.
                                     ______

    Senator Ted Cruz, Chairman,
    Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member,
    Senate Commerce Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the nomination
    of Daniel J. Edwards as the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for
    Aviation and International Affairs. I firmly believe that Mr. Edwards
    possesses the expertise, experience, vision, and sense of urgency
    necessary to excel in this critical role and to contribute
    significantly to the advancement of our Nation's aviation and
    international transportation policies.
        Prior to joining the Department of Transportation, Mr. Edwards
    dedicated his entire career to aerospace and defense, achieving
    significant accomplishments across diverse organizations in the public,
    private, and military sectors. He served over 23 years in the U.S. Air
    Force and Air Force Reserves, flying more than 100 combat missions and
    accumulating over 4,000 flight hours as a military and commercial
    pilot. His military and aviation experience further underscores his
    deep understanding of the complexities and demands of the aviation
    sector.
        With a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at
    the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Civil
    Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Mr. Edwards' educational
    background, combined with his extensive professional experience, equips
    him with a comprehensive understanding of both the technical and
    strategic aspects of aviation and international transportation.
        Given the critical importance of aviation and international
    transportation to our economy and national security, it is essential to
    have a leader of Mr. Edwards' caliber in this role. His background and
    proven leadership make him the ideal candidate to guide our aviation
    and international transportation policies towards a prosperous and
    secure future.
        I urge the Senate Commerce Committee to move forward with a swift
    and favorable confirmation of Daniel J. Edwards.
                Sincerely,
                                                   Fatih Ozmen,
                                                                   CEO,
                               Sierra Space and Sierra Nevada Company, LLC.
                                     ______

                     Air Line Pilots Association, International
                                                       October 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chair,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chair Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        On behalf of the more than 80,000 professional airline pilots
    represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), I
    am writing to express my strong support for the nomination of Daniel J.
    Edwards for the office of Assistant Secretary of Aviation and
    International Affairs of the United States Department of
    Transportation.
        Serving as Acting Assistant Secretary presently, Mr. Edwards has
    impressed us as a thoughtful listener who understands the safety and
    economic issues surrounding United States civil aviation. His
    considerable background at several levels in the aviation industry,
    including past service as a long-haul airline pilot for a global U.S.
    airline, should greatly benefit the Department's policy-making. I am
    confident with his skills and experience he will be an excellent
    Assistant Secretary.
        ALPA strongly supports Mr. Edwards' nomination to serve as
    Assistant Secretary of Aviation and International Affairs. We look
    forward to his consideration before the Senate Commerce Committee, and
    his swift confirmation by the full Senate.
                Sincerely,
                                         Captain Jason Ambrosi,
                                                             President.
                                     ______

                                                            JSX
                                                     September 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.
    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        We are writing to express JSX's strong support for Dan Edwards'
    nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S.
    DOT). JSX has enjoyed a long-standing, productive relationship with the
    Office of Aviation and International Affairs, and we have found Mr.
    Edwards to be knowledgeable, engaged, and deeply committed to the
    mission of this important office. He will be a vital member of
    Secretary Duffy's team.
        As a business executive, pilot, and civil engineer, Dan brings a
    wealth of experience to the Department's Office of Aviation and
    International Affairs. Dan is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy
    and served in the United States Air Force for over 23 years. In
    addition, Dan holds over 4,000 flight hours as a military and
    commercial pilot. His prior service affords an important perspective on
    the complexities and intricacies of aviation operations and policy in
    the United States and around the world.
        Dan's unique background positions him to excel in this role, which
    requires balancing aviation economic policy with safety considerations,
    coordinating closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
    and advancing key priorities including small community air service,
    competition, air traffic modernization, and the national AAM strategy--
    priorities that are central to JSX's mission and operations.
        JSX is a Dallas-based Part 135/380 air carrier serving niche and
    underserved communities throughout the United States with our fleet of
    30-seat aircraft. JSX has been voted America's favorite North American
    airline by consumers in the Travel + Leisure ``World's Best'' survey
    for two consecutive years. With the largest order book for advanced air
    mobility aircraft in the US, we believe AAM technology is critical to
    the future of small community and regional air service, bringing air
    service back to communities that have been left behind by the hub and
    spoke model.
        During our recent meeting with Dan and his team, we were impressed
    by his commitment to these shared objectives and his collaborative
    approach to fostering innovation and competition, while maintaining the
    highest safety standards.
        Thank you for consideration of our views as you deliberate Dan
    Edwards' nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs.
                Sincerely,
                                                   Alex Wilcox,
                                Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder.
                                                 Kerrie Forbes,
                           Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and
                               Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs.
                                     ______

                                                      Allegiant
                                        Las Vegas, NV, October 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of Allegiant, I am pleased to express our strong support
    for the nomination of Mr. Ryan McCormack to serve as Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
        We have greatly enjoyed working with Ryan in his current role as
    Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Duffy, where he has consistently
    demonstrated thoughtful leadership, professionalism, and a deep
    understanding of the complex issues facing our Nation's transportation
    system. His ability to bring stakeholders together and drive progress
    on key initiatives has earned the respect of the entire aviation
    community.
        We especially appreciate Ryan's recognition of the important role
    Allegiant plays in ensuring air travel remains within reach for
    Americans across the country, especially those in smaller and
    underserved communities. His balanced perspective and commitment to
    competition reflect a strong alignment with the Department's mission to
    expand access and affordability in air travel.
        We are also confident in Ryan's leadership to resolve outstanding
    issues with the Mexican government, and to enable Allegiant to extend
    the same affordable, value-driven service to international markets,
    benefiting even more American travelers.
        Ryan's integrity, experience, and steady leadership make him
    exceptionally well suited to serve as Under Secretary for Policy.
    Allegiant is proud to offer our full support for his nomination.
        Thank you for your consideration.
                Sincerely,
                                                   John Pepper,
                                                        Vice President,
                                Government Affairs & Corporate Development.
                                     ______

                                                      Allegiant
                                        Las Vegas, NV, October 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of Allegiant, I am pleased to express our strong support
    for the nomination of Mr. Trent Morse to serve as a Member of the Board
    of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).
        During his time in the White House Presidential Personnel Office,
    Trent made a significant contribution by helping staff key leadership
    positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Through that
    effort, he demonstrated a deep understanding of the Department's
    mission and an ability to identify and empower capable public servants
    who deliver meaningful results.
        Trent's experience building trusted relationships across government
    will serve him well in this role. His collaborative approach and sound
    judgment will be critical to restoring consumer confidence and ensuring
    fair and transparent slot allocation across MWAA airports.
        We believe Trent's professionalism, insight, and record of
    effective public service make him an excellent choice for this
    important position. Allegiant is proud to offer our support for his
    nomination.
        Thank you for your consideration.
                Sincerely,
                                                   John Pepper,
                                                        Vice President,
                                Government Affairs & Corporate Development.
                                     ______

                                                      Allegiant
                                        Las Vegas, NV, October 30, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of Allegiant, I am writing to express our strong support
    for the nomination of Dan Edwards to serve as Assistant Secretary for
    Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of
    Transportation.
        We were encouraged by Mr. Edwards' thoughtful engagement and
    remarks during the recent Association of Value Airlines board meeting.
    His understanding that carriers like Allegiant play a vital role in
    connecting communities across the country that otherwise would not have
    service reflects both his grasp of the aviation landscape and his
    appreciation for the diverse needs of the traveling public.
        Mr. Edwards' extensive background in business and aviation equips
    him well to address the complex international issues facing the
    Department. We are confident that his leadership will help to
    expeditiously resolve the outstanding issues with the Mexican
    government, allowing the Allegiant-Viva Aerobus Joint Venture to move
    forward. This important partnership stands to deliver on President
    Trump and Secretary Duffy's commitment to increasing competition and
    lowering fares for the American people.
        We believe Mr. Edwards' experience, professionalism, and practical
    approach will make him an asset to the Department and to the Nation's
    air travelers. Allegiant is proud to offer our support for his
    nomination.
        Thank you for your consideration.
                Sincerely,
                                                   John Pepper,
                                                        Vice President,
                                Government Affairs & Corporate Development.
                                     ______

                                  Association of Value Airlines
                                                       November 3, 2025

    Hon. Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Hon. Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,

        The Association of Value Airlines strongly supports the nomination
    of Dan Edwards to serve as Assistant Secretary of Transportation for
    Aviation and International Affairs. Our Board of Directors, the CEOs of
    Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and
    Sun Country Airlines, recently met with Mr. Edwards and are strongly
    encouraged by his responsiveness, familiarity with aviation, and
    attention to important policies that can promote enhanced competition
    in the airline industry. In addition, Mr. Edwards' concurrent role as
    Associate Administrator for Airports at the Federal Aviation
    Administration will uniquely position him to align competition and
    airport policies to maximize effectiveness.
        The Association of Value Airlines represents the Nation's leading
    low-fare airlines who together safely transported 95 million passengers
    last year on a combined fleet of nearly 600 aircraft to 240
    destinations, supported by 60,000 taxpaying employees. Our airlines
    create the competition that keeps fares in-check across the industry.
    When we met with Mr. Edwards, we had a productive dialogue about
    USDOT's policy initiatives, including the importance ensuring our
    airlines can access airports, and creating a regulatory framework that
    supports the continued success of value airlines' unique operating
    models. It is clear that his background in commercial aviation and
    airport engineering has given him unparalleled perspective and insight
    into the interdependence of airport and airline operations, and Federal
    policy.
        Mr. Edwards has been serving a vitally important role as a key
    member of Secretary Duffy's team. We appreciate his willingness to
    engage with the value airlines, and we urge the Senate to swiftly
    confirm his appointment.
                Sincerely,
                                                 Jonathon Freye
                                                    Executive Director,
                                             Association of Value Airlines.
                                     ______

                                                      Southwest
                                       Washington, DC, November 3, 2025

    Senator Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.
    Senator Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        Southwest Airlines is pleased to submit this letter in strong
    support of the nomination of Mr. Ryan McCormack for Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation
    (DOT).
        The DOT plays a vital role in supporting our Nation's economy and
    ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of our transportation
    systems. As one of the Secretary's principal advisors, the Under
    Secretary for Policy provides strategic guidance on legislative and
    regulatory initiatives and helps ensure that the Nation's
    transportation network functions as a cohesive, forward-looking system
    that fosters growth, innovation, and public confidence.
        Mr. McCormack has made significant contributions to the U.S.
    transportation sector through his service as Deputy Chief of Staff at
    the DOT. In this role, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership,
    judgment, and a results-oriented approach to complex policy and
    operational challenges. He is widely recognized for his accessibility,
    collaborative style, and ability to build consensus across diverse
    stakeholders. His prior service at the Export-Import Bank of the United
    States and in the U.S. House of Representatives strengthened his
    understanding of government operations and policymaking and further
    equipped him to advance the DOT's policy priorities.
        Southwest Airlines has greatly valued the professionalism and
    constructive engagement Mr. McCormack brings to his work with industry
    partners. His steady leadership and commitment to collaboration reflect
    the best traditions of public service. We are confident that, as Under
    Secretary for Policy, he will continue to strengthen the Department's
    effectiveness and its partnership with the aviation industry and other
    key transportation stakeholders.
        For these reasons, Southwest Airlines strongly supports Mr.
    McCormack's nomination.
                                                 Christa Lucas,
                                   Vice President Governmental Affairs,
                                                     Southwest Airlines Co.
                                     ______

                                           Airlines for America
                                       Washington, DC, October 30, 2025

    Senator Ted Cruz,
    Chairman,
    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.
    Senator Maria Cantwell,
    Ranking Member,
    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee,
    Washington, DC.

    Dear Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell:

        On behalf of the members of Airlines for America (A4A), I write in
    support of Trent Morse's nomination to serve as a Member of the
    Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).
        Mr. Morse would be an asset as a MWAA Member. He previously served
    as policy advisor in the Florida Department of Transportation and has
    experience at a transportation and infrastructure company. He's served
    at the United States Department of Transportation as Special Assistant
    to the Secretary, and more recently, in his role as Deputy Director of
    Presidential Personnel, he played a critical role in transportation
    issues. Given MWAA's unique organizational origins, Mr. Morse's
    experience as a former public sector employee at both the Federal and
    state levels who understands the importance of the aviation sector and
    the critical role airports play in the economy will make him a great
    addition to MWAA.
        Airlines have a strong interest in ensuring our Nation's airports
    are healthy and well run, and we support Mr. Morse's nomination and
    urge his swift confirmation.
                Sincerely,
                                         Christopher T. Sununu,
                                                     President and CEO,
                                                      Airlines For America.

        Senator Cruz. Senators will have until the close of
    business on November 7 to submit questions for the record. The
    nominees will have until the close of business on November 10
    to respond to those questions.
        This concludes today's hearing. The Committee stands
    adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 3:59 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                                A P P E N D I X

         Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to
                                 Ryan McCormack
        Question 1. Can you provide an update on the status and anticipated
    timeline for the issuance of Advanced Digital Construction Management
    Systems Grants?
        Answer. The FY 24 ADCMS awards have been reviewed and approved.
    Some have executed grant agreements and have obligated funds; others
    are still working to finalize their grant agreements. The Department
    anticipates releasing the next ADCMS NOFO in the first half of 2026.
                                     ______

          Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Ted Budd to
                                 Ryan McCormack
        Following the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act and the President's
    Executive Order calling for a new rule governing drone Beyond Visual
    Line of Sight (or BVLOS) operations, the FAA and TSA jointly published
    a draft rule in August. One of several issues the draft rule covers is
    the aircraft certification process. Recently, the FAA has adopted a
    more flexible and performance-based approach for drone certification
    called Criteria for Making 44807 Determinations, or CMD. Unfortunately,
    the draft rule embraces much of the prescriptive and unworkable
    requirements that the FAA abandoned several years ago trying to use the
    standard aircraft Type Certification process for drones.

        Question 1. If confirmed, how will you use your new position at DOT
    to push for streamlined, proven certification processes like CMD and
    resist efforts to move us backwards in a final rule governing BVLOS
    operations for drones?
        Answer. Enabling BVLOS operations for drones is critical. If
    confirmed, I will assist the Secretary and the Administrator of the FAA
    in advancing the objectives set forth in President Trump's Executive
    Order on Unleashing American Drone Dominance, which directs the
    Department to accelerate safe, routine BVLOS operations and reduce
    regulatory barriers to drone integration. Consistent with that policy,
    I will work to streamline certification and approval processes, promote
    innovation, and ensure timely rulemaking that strengthens U.S.
    leadership in drone technology.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
                                 Ryan McCormack
        I-5 Bridge. Mr. McCormack, the I-5 bridge is a critical project not
    only regionally, but to the national economy. $48 billion in American
    made and grown goods cross the bridge each year. The bridge's national
    impact is why it is not only supported by the local community, but also
    national business groups like the American Trucking Associations.

        Question 1. Will you commit to keeping the project in the Capital
    Investment Grant program pipeline until it can be rated by the Federal
    Transit Administration?
        Answer. If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy, I will work with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to
    ensure that coordination continues with the Washington State Department
    of Transportation (WSDOT), the project sponsor, on the IBR project's
    status in the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) New Starts program. As I
    understand it, the status of the IBR project in the CIG program is
    being monitored monthly and FTA is working with the sponsors related to
    open questions regarding project cost and other factors. Further
    coordination will help forecast with more accuracy project elements
    critical to advancing within the CIG program.

        DOT Grants. Mr. McCormack, it is my understanding that several
    previously awarded pedestrian and bike safety projects and port
    infrastructure projects across the country have been cancelled after it
    was determined they did not align with the White House's priorities.
    Additionally, about 111 transportation infrastructure projects remain
    under review and are at risk of being cancelled.

        Question 1. Current law does not require the Department of
    Transportation (DOT) to inform Members of Congress in advance of the
    withdrawal, termination, or cancellation of any grant awards. However,
    Senators may be able to provide important local context about the
    importance of projects in their home state that could help inform any
    reviews of grant awards being conducted by the Department. Will you
    commit to providing relevant Senators and this Committee at least three
    days' advanced notice prior to the formal withdrawal, termination, or
    cancellation of any grant awards?
        Answer. If confirmed as Undersecretary of Transportation for
    Policy, I will notify Congress of grant actions in accordance with
    Federal law. I recognize that the Members of the Committee, and the
    Congress broadly have context related to specific projects informed by
    discussions with state and local governments, as well as constituents
    that may prove helpful and the Department will engage as appropriate on
    those matters.

        Question 2. We appreciate the initial list of canceled and
    withdrawn grant awards that DOT provided the Committee on November 4,
    2025, in connection with your nomination process. Upon review, this
    list does not appear to reflect a full list of grant awards that were
    canceled, withdrawn, terminated, or had otherwise lapsed as a result of
    this Administration's grant re-evaluation process. Please certify that
    the list DOT provided on November 4 reflects a complete list of every
    such grant award, including those from all DOT modal administrations.
    If not, please provide an updated list to include all omitted
    responsive grant award(s) as an appendix to your QFR responses.
        Answer. Please see the Attachment 1.

        Question 3. During your staff interview on October 30, 2025, you
    indicated you would also provide the Committee a complete list of the
    roughly 200 grant awards that were still under review by DOT at that
    time. During your testimony on November 5, 2025, you indicated you were
    still ``working'' on providing this list. Will you provide an accurate
    list of these grant awards to this Committee before your markup is
    held?
        Answer. DOT expects to provide a list by the end of the calendar
    year. These grants are still part of a deliberative process. In the
    time since this was first raised in the staff interview, 89 of the
    grants have since cleared the review process and advanced further
    toward obligation.

        Question 4. Please provide a timeline for when we should expect DOT
    to provide the list referenced in the above question.
        Answer. DOT will provide a list by the end of the calendar year.

        Aviation Consumer Protection. After hearing directly from my
    constituents who had their travel plans ruined during the Southwest
    Airlines' meltdown, I knew we needed to make sure the flying public was
    not left holding the bag wondering if they would ever be made whole
    after getting their flight canceled or delayed.
        Thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) law, we ensured
    passengers are entitled to hassle-free refunds when their flights are
    canceled or significantly delayed by an airline--no matter the cause.
    And we empower the DOT to be a strong cop on the beat by establishing a
    new Office of Aviation Consumer Protection and tripling fines for
    consumer protection violations.
        But I'm concerned that DOT will revert back to a 2020 Trump
    Administration rule that weakened airline oversight, changing DOT's
    interpretation of what is considered an ``unfair and deceptive
    practice.'' We cannot afford a light-touch approach to consumer
    protections when Americans have experienced so many costly and
    widespread travel disruptions caused by airlines in the past three
    years.

        Question 1. Must DOT show they are committed to upholding and
    enforcing protections for everyday travelers?
        Answer. The Department must faithfully uphold the law.

        Question 2. If confirmed, will you make protecting passenger rights
    a priority during your time at DOT?
        Answer. My current role has not delved into any aviation consumer
    protection issues, and if confirmed to the role of Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy, the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection
    would not report to me. However, I do want to convey that my top
    priority would be to continue upholding safety on our Nation's
    roadways, railways, and yes,--skies, as well as exercising the
    Secretary's authorities over competition and economic licensing in
    aviation Should there be an issue where passenger safety is at concern
    or the competitive vitality of aviation services, I too expect that DOT
    should be a ``strong cop on the beat,'' and I will not hesitate to
    elevate the issue. I also want to advance policies that will benefit
    the passenger experience and look forward to working with the Committee
    on those issues.

        Question 3. The 2024 FAA law requires DOT to take a stronger
    approach to consumer protection. Do you commit to fully implementing
    all the consumer protection requirements as required by the FAA law as
    quickly as possible?
        Answer. I will follow the law.

        Roadway Safety. Roadway deaths have increased 15 percent in the
    last decade. In the state of Washington, 730 people were killed on our
    roads last year--a 34 percent increase from a decade ago, and the
    number of people killed while walking or biking has reached an all-time
    high.

        Question 1. In 2022, the Department released the first-ever
    National Roadway Safety Strategy with the long-term goal of zero
    fatalities on our roadways. Will you continue this mission to save
    lives and prevent deadly traffic crashes?
        Answer. Yes. Far too many Americans die on our roadways. I cite
    reducing highway fatalities as one of my top priorities and if
    confirmed, will continue the work to further reduce highway fatalities.
    As Secretary Duffy has said, the Department is committed to putting
    safety first. For example, this July, USDOT launched a nationwide
    roadway safety effort to prioritize investments that improve mobility
    and safety on roadways through the Federal Highway Administration's
    (FHWA) Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and
    Distraction-Reducing Strategies--SAFE ROADS--initiative. The program
    targets non-freeway arterial roads, which is where more than half of
    U.S. roadway deaths occur. The response has been unprecedented, with
    all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico identifying
    safety concerns they will address.

        Question 2. We have learned from other industries the importance of
    a safe-system approach to prevent fatal accidents. How will you ensure
    that DOT works across modes to improve safety?
        Answer. Safety is my top priority. The integration of emerging
    technologies is a key factor in enhancing safety across all modes of
    transportation. Collaboration is key in further bolstering safety. I
    support the Safe System approach that works by building and reinforcing
    multiple layers of protection from all Operating Administrations to
    both prevent crashes from happening in the first place and minimize the
    harm caused to those involved when crashes do occur. If confirmed,
        I will ensure that the surface transportation operating
    administrations continue to build on strategies that work through
    coordinating activities.

        Commercial Space Launch and Reentry. The commercial space industry
    has encountered significant issues with the FAA's Office of Commercial
    Space Transportation (AST), including chronic resource shortages,
    regulatory inefficiencies, and delays in processing licensing and
    approvals. These problems will only get worse as the commercial space
    industry grows. Last year's rate of licensed launches was up 33.3
    percent from 2023, and 97.4 percent from 2022. 85 percent of the
    licensed launches in 2024 were conducted by SpaceX, including 4
    Starship launches, which means that SpaceX receives more time and
    attention from the FAA than any other launch company. Yet SpaceX and
    Elon Musk have been the most vocal public critics of the FAA's
    Commercial Space Transportation Office.

        Question 1. Smaller innovators and new start commercial space
    companies often struggle to compete against well established players.
    What role do you see DOT and the FAA playing in ensuring the government
    fosters a diversified ecosystem of space providers to increase
    resiliency and reduce dependency on any single company?
        Answer. It is important we promote as much competition as possible
    in the marketplace. The Department, including the FAA, should be
    broadly supportive of all space providers seeking launch and reentry
    approvals, consistent with safety protocols.

        Question 2. Will you commit to reactivating the Commercial Space
    Transportation Advisory Committee and appointing new members as a means
    of receiving formal input from across industry and other interested
    stakeholders and experts?
        Answer. Consistent with Executive Order, the Department has
    undertaken a broad effort to reevaluate the Department's Federal
    advisory committees and is in the process of reconstituting several
    advisory committees. This process is deliberative and I will follow the
    law and the direction of Secretary Duffy related to advisory
    committees. I am interested in hearing from stakeholders and experts in
    this space to inform Departmental action and will engage as
    appropriate.

        Question 3. As you consider proposals to increase domestic
    commercial launch industry competitiveness, will you also commit to
    maintaining public safety and the safety of human spaceflight
    participants?
        Answer. Yes.

        5G Spectrum Auction Impacts to Aviation Safety. The safety and
    effectiveness of the National Airspace System (NAS) depends on the
    management of radar, navigation, and safety-critical systems on
    airplanes. As the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) moves towards
    auctioning off additional spectrum and telecommunication companies'
    voluntary mitigations end in 2028, it's imperative that DOT and FAA
    ensure that radio altimeters and C-Band spectrum can co-exist without
    jeopardizing aviation safety.

        Question 1. To that end, what is the timeline for the FAA proposed
    rulemaking (NPRM) to be issued so that the FAA and the aviation
    industry can begin planning towards a stable regulatory baseline?
        Answer. The FAA continues to work closely with the FCC on this
    issue. If confirmed, I will study this issue further and better
    understand the timeline of the FAA's NPRM efforts to ensure aviation
    safety is maintained.

        Question 2. The current commercial aviation fleet continues to rely
    on radio altimeters and filters that were not certified to operate
    adjacent to highpower 5G emissions close to their receiver frequencies.
    It is still unclear whether updated altimeters would be able to
    withstand 5G interference and retrofitting altimeters for use alongside
    full powered commercial 5G will require more than simple filtering.
    What is DOT doing to proactively address additional issues facing
    airlines associated with this forthcoming auction with respect to radio
    altimeter equipment performance and considerations for related
    retrofits?
        Answer. As I understand it, the FAA is working collaboratively with
    industry and the FCC to evaluate the performance of radio altimeters in
    the full power 5G environment. The FAA is assessing potential equipment
    and retrofit needs to ensure continued safety and operational
    reliability. Findings from this work have informed FAA's preparation of
    a proposed rule addressing C-band and radio altimeter coexistence, and
    the FAA will continue to work with industry and the FCC to provide
    clear requirements for affected operators.

        Question 3. Will you commit to keeping this committee updated on
    this process and ensuring that the FAA and FCC are closely working
    together to ensure aviation safety is not compromised and that the
    concerns of aviation stakeholders are accounted for as this auction is
    designed?
        Answer. Yes.
                                     ______

        Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to
                                 Ryan McCormack
    Distracted Driving
        You stated that you plan to pay particular attention to reducing
    highway fatalities. Nine people in the United States are killed
    everyday in accidents that are reported to involve distracted driving.

        Question 1. If confirmed, do you commit to working to combat
    distracted driving as a part of your efforts to reduce highway
    fatalities?
        Answer. Yes. Safety is my--and the Department's--top priority. We
    must find ways to reduce fatalities on roadways and I will support
    efforts to combat distracted driving.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Baldwin to
                                 Ryan McCormack
        Question 1. The Build America, Buy America Act expresses a general
    policy preference against general applicability waivers. If a waiver to
    a Buy America law is necessary to overcome short-term market
    limitations, the Department of Transportation should issue ad hoc,
    product-specific waivers to ensure projects proceed without delay and
    signal market demand, triggering new capital investments to expand
    domestic manufacturing capacities.

        a. Do I have your commitment to enforce current Buy America
    standards?
        Answer. I will follow the law and I share your passion to promote
    domestic manufacturing and job growth. The President and Secretary
    Duffy are committed to buying American and hiring American when
    spending Federal dollars, where possible. If confirmed, I look forward
    to supporting them in that effort.

        b. Will you commit to only issuing waivers that are ad hoc,
    product-specific waivers and avoid issuing new general applicability
    waivers?
        Answer. I will follow the law and I share your passion to promote
    domestic manufacturing and job growth. The President and Secretary
    Duffy are committed to buying American and hiring American when
    spending Federal dollars, where possible. If confirmed, I look forward
    to supporting them in that effort.

        Question 2. As Congress works to advance a surface transportation
    reauthorization bill, one of my priorities is to continue to strengthen
    Build America, Buy America Act implementation and enforcement required
    under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

        a. Would you support legislation that would require an additional
    round of identification of programs at the Department of Transportation
    that still have not implemented Buy America preference requirements?
        Answer. I will follow the law and I share your passion to promote
    domestic manufacturing and job growth. The President and Secretary
    Duffy are committed to buying American and hiring American when
    spending Federal dollars, where possible. If there is technical
    assistance required to inform your draft legislation, I would be happy
    to assist.

        b. How would you go about addressing deficient programs under the
    DOT's purview?
        Answer. If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy, I will work to ensure that DOT applies Buy America preferences
    to its financial assistance programs in a manner consistent with the
    statutory requirements established by Congress.

        Question 3. For the past 40 years, the Department of
    Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program has helped
    level the playing field for businesses seeking to participate in
    federally assisted contracts. This program has been extremely
    beneficial for business owners in Wisconsin. I was disappointed to see
    the recent interim final rule that removes race-and sex-based
    presumptions of social and economic disadvantage as criteria for
    consideration for the program.

        a. What are your thoughts on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
    Program?
        Answer. Recipients of highway, transit and airport funding
    distributed by the Department are subject to certain requirements of
    the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The Interim Final
    Rule referenced in the question would ensure that this program
    continues to operate in accordance with the Constitution and Federal
    civil rights laws. The Office of Civil Rights, which administers the
    guidance on DBE, does not report to the Under Secretary of
    Transportation for Policy. If confirmed, I would nevertheless work to
    ensure the new guidance is clearly understood by applicants

        b. What do you envision for the future of the program?
        Answer. As relayed in my answer to the previous question, the
    program will continue to operate in accordance with the Constitution
    and Federal civil rights laws.

        c. If confirmed, will you commit to reassessing this interim final
    rule and considering reversal of the Department's decision?
        Answer. I am committed to following the law. For specifics on this
    interim final, rule, I would refer you to the Office of Civil Rights.

        Question 4. One of my longstanding priorities is improving access
    to air travel for people with disabilities, including our Nation's
    veterans. I was disappointed to see that the DOT announced in September
    that it would be delaying enforcement of provisions intended to hold
    airlines accountable for mishandled wheelchairs and provide more
    regular training for airline personnel and contractors who provide
    physical assistance to passengers with disabilities and handle
    passengers' wheelchairs and scooters. My ask for the Department of
    Transportation is to reverse its decision to delay enforcement of these
    important provisions in the final rule. Will you commit to
    reconsidering this decision if confirmed?
        Answer. On September 30, 2025 the Department issued a notice that
    it is delaying enforcement of four provisions of the Wheelchair Rule I:
    those related to airline liability for mishandled wheelchairs,
    frequency of refresher training, pre-departure notifications, and fare
    difference reimbursements until December 31, 2026. My understanding is
    that this action was taken because the Department is considering a new
    rule on this topic. It is my understanding that nothing in the
    September 30, 2025 announcement affects the continued requirement of
    air carriers to return wheelchairs to their users in the condition in
    which the air carrier received the wheelchair, or to compensate the
    passenger for any damage to a wheelchair as a result of the air
    carrier's actions or failure to act in a prudent manner.
                                     ______

      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Duckworth to
                                 Ryan McCormack
    Question Topic: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization
            Act of 2024
        Question 1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
    Reauthorization Act of 2024 (PL 118-63) included a bipartisan provision
    titled, ``Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with
    Disabilities Using Wheelchairs'' or the Wheelchair rule and was issued
    on December 16, 2024. However, the U.S. Department of Transportation
    (USDOT) released in the Federal Register on September 30, 2025, that
    would delay enforcement of the rule until the end of 2026, and a notice
    of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to weaken core protections in the
    law.

        A. What disability advocacy groups did you or USDOT officials meet
    with prior to making this change to the existing law?
        Answer. I did not participate in deliberative processes related to
    this NPRM. As I explained in the hearing, this is not part of my
    portfolio in my current role nor does the Office of Aviation Consumer
    Policy report to the role I am nominated for.

        B. When did you meet with such groups and which individuals were
    included?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        C. What recommendations were made by such groups?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        D. Which recommendations under C. were accepted, why were they
    accepted and how were they implemented?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        E. Which recommendations under C. were rejected and why were they
    rejected?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        F. What airline advocates and industry lobbyists did you or USDOT
    employees meet with prior to making this change to the existing law?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        G. When did you meet with such stakeholders?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        H. What recommendations were made by such stakeholders?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        I. Which recommendations under H. were accepted, why were they
    accepted and how did USDOT implement each?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        J. Which recommendations under H. were rejected and why were they
    rejected?
        Answer. Refer to my answer in ``A.''

        Question 2. Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (PL
    118-63), which requires the FAA to issue regulations and guidance to
    increase safety and accessibility for passengers with disabilities and
    an aging population. Several provisions of the FAA law regarding
    publication of guidance or rulemaking are already behind schedule. If
    confirmed as Under Secretary:

        A. Will you prioritize FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 full and
    faithful implementation, without delay, regardless of any Executive
    Order that would force USDOT and FAA to violate statutory requirements
    or otherwise hinder implementation in contravention of legislative text
    and congressional intent?
        Answer. If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy, I will support the Secretary in implementing regulations
    required by the FAA Reauthorization Act in a timely manner.

        B. Do you commit to placing all of the FAA Reauthorization Act of
    2024's required regulations and guidance on the Unified Regulatory
    Agenda?
        Answer. If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation for
    Policy, I will support the Secretary in implementing regulations
    required by the FAA Reauthorization Act in a timely manner.
    Question Topic: Surface Transportation Reauthorization
        Our Nation's infrastructure is in desperate need of updating.
    Congress is due to reauthorize surface transportation policy next year,
    and we are already putting our heads together on what needs to be
    included. One program that we hope to reauthorize is the All Stations
    Accessibility Program, or ASAP, which aims to make public areas of
    transit station accessible to people with disabilities. The ASAP
    program has provided funding on a competitive basis to support such
    infrastructure projects across the country, including in Illinois,
    Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Ohio and several other States. These critical
    investments have helped provide jobs and increase accessibility, but we
    have a long way to go before the promise of the Americans with
    Disabilities Act is fulfilled.

        Question 1. If confirmed, will you commit to working with me to
    reauthorize the ASAP program?
        Answer. I appreciate and share the commitment to ensuring that
    Americans with disabilities have access to the transportation services.
    If confirmed as Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, I will
    continue the work in the Department to ensure the needs of Americans
    with disabilities are considered when designing transportation systems.

        Question 2. A recent report by the National Council on Disability
    on the current state of ground transportation and the challenges it
    presents to Americans with disabilities, who still struggle to get to
    medical appointments, work, school, the grocery store and so on due to
    inaccessible routes, transit and insufficient transportation options,
    and wheelchair users are particularly hard hit due to a lack of
    wheelchair accessible vehicles. New technologies and innovations, such
    as transportation network companies, or TNCs (aka, rideshare), and
    autonomous vehicles present an opportunity to increase accessibility
    for all Americans.
        If confirmed as Under Secretary, do you commit to working with me
    and stakeholders in the disability community to develop and implement
    policy to improve the availability of WAVs by TNCs and the
    accessibility of autonomous vehicles of transportation routes?
        Answer. If confirmed, I would be happy to work with you and your
    staff on these important issues.
    Question Topic: Sustainable Aviation Fuel
        Question 1. In 2021, multiple U.S. Federal agencies, including
    Department of Transportation and specifically the FAA joined an
    interagency working group to roll out the SAF Grand Challenge. This was
    a historic government-wide strategy for scaling up production of SAF
    that reduces cost and expands the use of SAF across the U.S. airline
    industry, while also growing the domestic biofuels sector. SAF is a
    bipartisan topic that Senator Moran and I proudly advocate for as co-
    chairs of the Senate SAF Caucus. SAF production is critical for the
    aviation industry. It also creates new economic opportunities in
    agricultural and rural communities while reducing environmental
    impacts. It also supports U.S. energy independence and global
    competitiveness. With the goal of 3 billion gallon per year by the 2030
    target, it is important that we remain committed to this goal of
    American grown, American made biofuels.

        B. Do you remain committed to the expansion of domestic SAF
    production and usage in this country?
        Answer. I understand there have been recent deliberations within
    the Congress related to SAF and that this issue is important to your
    constituents. I will follow the law and engage with the SAF Caucus and
    aviation stakeholders as appropriate when the Department considers
    matters related to SAF.

        Question 2. Without the inclusion of U.S. agricultural feedstock
    for SAF we will miss an incredible economic and environmental
    opportunity. That being said, some international aviation sectors have
    chosen to measure their SAF carbon intensity using the International
    Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction
    Scheme for International Aviation or ``CORSIA''. However, domestically
    we prefer Illinois' own Argonne National Laboratories, Department of
    Energy commissioned Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy
    use in Technologies Model or ``GREET Model'', as it more accurately
    considers sustainable agricultural practices, reduced land and water
    uses and other relevant considerations in its calculations.

        A. Do you support the U.S. formally adopting the Argonne GREET
    model to measure our SAF carbon intensity?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will study this issue further and better
    understand the differences in the CORSIA and GREET Model approaches.

        B. Do you support the global aviation sector adopting one single
    model to measure the carbon intensity of SAF?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will study this issue further and better
    understand the differences in the CORSIA and GREET Model approaches.
    Question Topic: Federal Elections
        Question 1. Setting aside the Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Donald Trump received more
    votes than Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential
    election?
        Answer. Donald Trump received the majority of certified electoral
    college votes in the 2024 presidential election.

        Question 2. Setting aside the official Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Joe Biden received more votes
    than President Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election?
        Answer. Joseph Biden received the majority of certified electoral
    college votes in the 2020 presidential election.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Ben Ray Lujan to
                                 Ryan McCormack
        Question 1. In February, Secretary Duffy released a memo that the
    Department of Transportation would prioritize projects and goals that
    ``give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher
    than the national average.'' When asked about this shift, you stated
    that the previous administration's focus on bike paths or transit
    ``inadvertently . . . restrict[ed] what was possible when it came to
    family size.'' Please provide the data that your team used to determine
    that bike paths inadvertently restrict family size.
        Answer. The Department is committed to supporting critical
    transportation infrastructure improvements. In instances where a
    bicycle lane removes a motor vehicle travel lane and leads to a
    significant reduction in travel efficiency it affects motorists,
    including families.

        Question 2. Most recently, the Department of Transportation
    canceled multiple grants stating they ran ``counter to DOT's priorities
    . . . [to] improve vehicular travel.'' This includes an $11.5 million
    RAISE grant in New Mexico that was intended to construct a multi-use
    urban trail for bicyclists and pedestrians through a downtown corridor.
    The law that authorized these funds states that ``in selecting projects
    . . . the Secretary shall take into consideration geographical and
    modal diversity.'' Limiting program support to projects that are
    focused only on vehicular modes of transportation is in direct conflict
    with the plain language of the law.

        a. Were you aware that the sole focus on vehicular modalities
    directly conflicts with the law?
        Answer. The program has not been restricted to vehicular modes of
    transportation. I will continue to follow the law and if confirmed,
    will request and follow the advice of counsel in doing so.

        b. What role did you play in the cancellation of those grants?
        Answer. DOT is conducting a review to ensure all competitive grant
    activities align with Administration priorities, which was led by the
    Deputy Secretary in coordination with the Secretary.
        To the best of my knowledge and true belief, the Department has
    carried out grant award announcement withdrawals and grant terminations
    within the law with regard to relevant statutory authorizations while
    exercising Secretarial discretion also authorized by those statutes.
    The Department and I will continue to follow applicable laws.

        c. Will you provide Congress with an update on how many similar
    grants have been cancelled and/or currently under review?
        Answer. The committees of jurisdiction have been provided with a
    list of all grants withdrawn or cancelled.

        d. Will you commit to ensuring that grants are reinstated that are
    not in conflict with the law?
        Answer. I will continue to follow the law in all that I do.

        Question 3. Did Joe Biden lawfully win the 2020 presidential
    election?
        Answer. Joseph Biden received the majority of certified electoral
    college votes in the 2020 presidential election.

        Question 4. Did Donald Trump lawfully win the 2024 presidential
    election?
        Answer. Donald Trump received the majority of certified electoral
    college votes in the 2024 presidential election.
                                     ______

         Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. John Thune to
                                 Daniel Edwards
        The current U.S. pilot retirement age of 65 greatly impacts
    regional airline staffing. In October 2025, the International Civil
    Aviation Organization (ICAO) made the concerning decision to reject a
    proposal to raise the recommended international pilot age from 65 to
    67.

        Question 1. If confirmed, will you commit to working with the
    Ambassador to ICAO in supporting a raise in the pilot retirement age
    both domestically and on the international stage to ensure that the
    U.S. pilot supply remains robust for many years to come?
        Answer. I recognize that the retirement rules impact regional
    airline staffing and the availability of diverse business models to
    provide the safe airline services that Americans demand, especially in
    small and rural communities. Safety is and will remain the Department's
    priority, and I will work with Secretary Duffy and Administrator
    Bedford, who lead on this issue, to engage as appropriate at ICAO.
                                     ______

        Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to
                                 Daniel Edwards
        Question 1. Can you provide an update on the status of the report
    authorized in the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership
    Act?
        Answer. The large expert Federal working group has completed its
    work, having worked closely with stakeholders throughout the aviation,
    telecom, and infrastructure development industries, as well as with
    State, local, Tribal, and Territorial governments. The national
    strategy, and its associated comprehensive plan, are complete and will
    be an excellent template to develop a new industry with new
    capabilities for the American people. The Department will partner with
    Congressional leaders in this area to release the strategy as soon as
    possible.

        Question 2. Can you provide an update on the implementation of Sec.
    912, the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, and Sec. 702 as it
    relates to the eligibility of Advanced Digital Construction Management
    Systems?
        Answer. The FAA also continues to implement the provisions of the
    2024 reauthorization act, including Section. 912, and has thus far
    prioritized provisions that are funded to realize the intent of
    Congress.

        Question 3. New technology will be vital in elevating aviation
    safety and creating a safer NAS, and new companies are offering
    aircraft operating systems designed to make the aircraft safer in every
    environment while lessening the cognitive load on pilots. How will you
    work to ensure platforms that make it fundamentally safer to fly make
    it to market?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will support the safe and timely
    certification of new technologies that enhance aviation safety and
    reduce pilot workload. The Department, including the FAA, must continue
    to modernize its approval processes to keep pace with innovation while
    maintaining rigorous safety standards, ensuring that proven, safety-
    enhancing platforms can enter the market without unnecessary delay.

        Question 4. You have also been selected to serve as the FAA
    Associate Administrator for Airports, which is a key position,
    especially considering the ongoing focus on enhancing aviation safety
    and efficiency. How will you ensure your role as Assistant Secretary
    doesn't prevent you from fulfilling the needs of the FAA Office of
    Airports and the airport community?
        Answer. If confirmed I will ensure dedicated focus on the FAA
    Office of Airports by maintaining close coordination with FAA
    leadership and stakeholders, prioritizing resources and engagement to
    address airport safety, efficiency, and operational needs while also
    fulfilling my responsibility as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and
    International Affairs. I have significant relevant experience in
    airfield safety, infrastructure and engineering and am passionate about
    preparing our Nation's airports for the next generation of aviation and
    economic growth. I also have experience simultaneously leading and
    integrating multiple organizations and lines of business and will bring
    that to bear to ensure that the airports team fulfills its mission.

        Question 5. Airports in Kansas and around the country are working
    to upgrade outdated facilities and make investments that help
    accommodate rising demand and improve safety. The FAA Office of
    Airports plays an important role in helping airports move forward with
    their critical infrastructure projects and ensure the safety of
    aircraft operations on the ground. What are your priorities as the
    Associate Administrator for Airports?
        Answer. As the Associate Administrator for Airports, safety is my
    top priority. I will work to ensure that the operation of aircraft,
    including within and around the airport environment, remains safe. I am
    also passionate about preparing our Nation's airports the next
    generation of aviation technology.

        Question 6. Airports have been calling for the FAA to streamline
    the review and approval processes for airport infrastructure projects
    while proposing other commonsense recommendations to reduce regulatory
    red tape. How will you ensure that the Trump administration's
    deregulatory agenda is implemented for the benefit of airports?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure airport projects benefit from
    President Trump's deregulatory agenda, implementing streamlined
    processes and approvals consistent with applicable law.

        Question 7. FAA predicts airports face $67.5 billion in capital
    needs over the next five years--can you provide assurance that FAA will
    not attempt to claw-back or cancel previously appropriated funding for
    airports?
        Answer. I can provide assurance that I, under Secretary Duffy's
    leadership, will uphold the letter of the law.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
                                 Daniel Edwards
        Airline Competition and Protecting U.S. Aviation Jobs. Mr. Edwards,
    a key part of your role at the Department of Transportation (DOT)
    Office of the Secretary (OST) would be to oversee the evaluation and
    potential approval of proposed airline industry acquisitions and
    mergers. Airline competition decisions are critical as they impact many
    core parts of how the airline industry operates and what choices the
    flying public has as a result. These DOT decisions affect consumer
    flight options in communities across the country, flight and airport
    gate access for airlines, as well as jobs and benefits for pilots,
    flight attendants and other members of our aviation workforce essential
    to supporting these flights.

        Question 1. What does it mean to you to promote ``fair
    competition'' in the airline industry?
        Answer. In a competitive airline industry, multiple types of
    business models are able to compete to win over consumers based upon
    the strength of their products and services, without impediments in the
    form of structural factors such as government intervention or
    overregulation, or other factors such as exclusionary conduct, that
    could otherwise harm consumers and American businesses. If confirmed, I
    will apply the authorities provided by Congress to promote free, fair,
    and vigorous competition.

        Question 2. If confirmed, how would you ensure decisions at DOT
    about competition in the airline industry benefit the flying public and
    don't compromise protections or air service access for consumers?
        Answer. I believe that, in considering the equities of the aviation
    industry, Congress has put market access and consumers at the center of
    the Department's economic authorities. If confirmed, I will ensure that
    my office maximizes consumer benefits in regulatory decisions on
    airline competition matters. This includes paying close attention to
    the impact of any transaction on the access that Americans have to the
    national air transportation system.

        Question 3. Global competition in aviation is critical not only for
    the national economy but also for Washington State, which has a strong
    aviation workforce and trade ties that depend on open markets. To
    strengthen U.S. competitiveness, we need policies that encourage
    carriers--especially new entrants--to expand internationally. Will you
    commit to ensuring DOT actively promotes global aviation competition
    and works with carriers to create real opportunities for access to
    international markets?
        Answer. Yes, if confirmed, I will absolutely do so. It is critical
    to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and enable new entrants and emerging
    global airlines to access international markets.

        Question 4. Your role would involve evaluating and deciding whether
    to allow certain foreign airlines to operate within the U.S. market. If
    confirmed, do you commit to safeguarding U.S. aviation jobs and
    workplace benefits when making such decisions relating to airline
    competition in the industry?
        Answer. Safeguarding U.S. aviation jobs and workplace benefits are
    an important responsibility, and if confirmed, I will ensure that
    Departmental decisions regarding foreign air carrier licensing and
    access to the United States are made and carried out consistent with
    U.S. law and the public interest.

        Question 5. Do you also commit to ensuring your decisions related
    to airline competition prioritize safeguarding small and regional air
    service?
        Answer. Ensuring access for small and rural communities to the
    national aviation system is an important goal of the Department and one
    that I take seriously. If confirmed, I will ensure that the
    Department's decisions consider impacts on small, rural, and
    underserved communities, consistent with Department's mission. The
    office to which I am seeking confirmation oversees the Essential Air
    Service and Small Community Air Service Development Programs, two
    avenues to supporting and developing air service to underserved
    communities. I will administer these programs to the best of my
    ability, prioritizing the needs of the affected communities.

        U.S. Leadership at ICAO. The International Civil Aviation
    Organization (ICAO) gets 20 percent of its funding from the U.S.--and I
    am concerned that considerations to withdraw some of this funding will
    seriously undermine our ability to influence safety and energy
    standards and policy in the international aviation community.

        Question 1. If confirmed, do you commit to ensuring the United
    States continues to provide funding contributions to support ICAO
    activities--even in the event that the DOT has disagreements with some
    of ICAO's policy priorities?
        Answer. While decisions regarding funding for international
    organizations are the ultimate purview of the Department of State, I
    can assure you that I recognize the importance of the United States
    exerting strong leadership at ICAO. As I stated in my hearing, and as
    Secretary Duffy emphasized in the U.S. National Statement at the ICAO
    Assembly in September, we are prepared to reassert U.S. leadership
    ICAO, including through establishing a physical presence for DOT's
    Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Mission to ICAO, in order to ensure
    safe, secure, and efficient air travel.

        Question 2. If confirmed, do you commit to continuing the United
    States' funding contributions to ICAO at the current rate?
        Answer. Secretary Duffy and I are already engaging with ICAO,
    focusing on its fundamental principles of safety, security, and
    efficiency and ensuring that the global aviation ecosystem provides for
    innovation while also modernizing the safety of our skies. I commit to
    working with the Department of State on funding for this important
    organization.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to
                                 Daniel Edwards
    Essential Air Service
        For many rural communities in Minnesota, smaller regional airports
    provide a vital link to the Twin Cities and beyond. Essential Air
    Service helps maintain the operations of regional airports in Minnesota
    and across the country.

        Question 1. How does the EAS program fit into the Department's
    overall aviation strategy for ensuring equitable and reliable access
    for rural communities?
        Answer. The EAS program allows the Department to ensure that small
    and rural communities remain connected to the national air
    transportation system. By sustaining scheduled air service where it
    would not otherwise be economically viable, the program helps preserve
    economic and social mobility for residents and businesses in these
    areas. From Secretary Duffy on down, the Department is committed to
    ensuring that all Americans, regardless of geography, have access to
    the benefits and opportunities that the national aviation system
    provides. If confirmed, I will continue to leverage the funding
    provided by Congress to the EAS program to do so.
    Aviation Workforce Development
        I am concerned that the shortage of trained aviation manufacturers,
    mechanics, and air traffic controllers is leading to more flight
    cancellations and repair delays. I led bipartisan legislation in the
    FAA reauthorization bill to recruit and prepare students for aviation
    careers.

        Question 2. If confirmed, what will you do to ensure we have a
    pipeline of new talent and bolster our existing aviation workforce?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will prioritize strengthening the aviation
    workforce pipeline by working with the FAA to advance programs that
    attract, train, and retain the best and brightest professionals across
    all sectors of aviation. This includes supporting FAA initiatives that
    expand partnerships with schools and industry to develop technical
    talent and ensure a steady flow of qualified mechanics, manufacturers,
    and air traffic controllers to meet growing demand.
    Low-Cost Carriers
        In your testimony, you stated that you will focus on ensuring a
    competition-friendly market and enhancing access to commercial air
    service for all Americans. Low-cost carriers play a vital role in
    bringing competition into the market. When low-cost carriers serve a
    route, fares on that route fall by nearly 20 percent on average.

        Question 3. If confirmed, do you commit to working to address
    barriers that low-cost carriers face in expanding their operations into
    new markets?
        Answer. If confirmed, yes, I will work hard to address those
    barriers. I believe strongly in supporting multiple business models in
    the marketplace, enabling innovative businesses to serve customer
    needs. There may be opportunities to address many different issues,
    including airport access issues, given my roles as Assistant Secretary
    (if confirmed) and Associate Administrator of Airports.
                                     ______

      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Duckworth to
                                 Daniel Edwards
    Question Topic: Sustainable Aviation Fuel
        Question 1. In 2021, multiple U.S. Federal agencies, including
    Department of Transportation and specifically the FAA joined an
    interagency working group to roll out the SAF Grand Challenge. This was
    a historic government-wide strategy for scaling up production of SAF
    that reduces cost and expands the use of SAF across the U.S. airline
    industry, while also growing the domestic biofuels sector. SAF is a
    bipartisan topic that Senator Moran and I proudly advocate for as co-
    chairs of the Senate SAF Caucus. SAF production is critical for the
    aviation industry. It also creates new economic opportunities in
    agricultural and rural communities while reducing environmental
    impacts. It also supports U.S. energy independence and global
    competitiveness. With the goal of 3 billion gallon per year by the 2030
    target, it is important that we remain committed to this goal of
    American grown, American made biofuels.

        A. Do you remain committed to the expansion of domestic SAF
    production and usage in this country?
        Answer. If confirmed, I look forward to working with your office,
    under the leadership of Secretary Duffy, and Senator Moran on this
    issue.

        Question 2. Without the inclusion of U.S. agricultural feedstock
    for SAF we will miss an incredible economic and environmental
    opportunity. That being said, some international aviation sectors have
    chosen to measure their SAF carbon intensity using the International
    Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction
    Scheme for International Aviation or ``CORSIA''. However, domestically
    we prefer Illinois' Argonne National Laboratories, Department of Energy
    commissioned the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use
    in Technologies Model or ``GREET Model'', as it correctly considers
    sustainable agricultural practices, reduced land and water uses and
    other relevant considerations in its calculations.

        A. Do you support the U.S. formally adopting the Argonne GREET
    model to measure our SAF carbon intensity?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will commit to studying this issue more and
    following the leadership and direction of Secretary Duffy.

        B. Do you support the global aviation sector adopting one single
    model to measure the carbon intensity of SAF?
        Answer. If confirmed, I will commit to studying this issue more and
    following the leadership and direction of Secretary Duffy.
    Question Topic: Federal Elections
        Question 1. Setting aside the Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Donald Trump received more
    votes than Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential
    election?
        Answer. Congress certified that Donald Trump won the 2024 election
    on January 6, 2025.

        Question 2. Setting aside the official Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Joe Biden received more votes
    than President Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election?
        Answer. Congress certified that Joseph Biden won the 2020
    presidential election on January 7, 2021.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to
                                  Trent Morse
        Lobbying. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
    operates Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is a
    major hub for American Airlines, as well as Washington Dulles
    International Airport (IAD). After leaving the White House, you began
    lobbying for American Airlines, as well as FedEx. You made several
    commitments to me and my staff regarding how you would mitigate
    conflicts of interest with your lobbying practice if confirmed. Please
    confirm the following for the record:

        Question 1. You will drop both American Airlines and FedEx as
    clients if you are confirmed to the MWAA Board of Directors?
        Answer. Yes.

        Question 2. You do not currently represent any other clients in the
    transportation space that could give rise to a conflict of interest or
    an appearance of a conflict of interest with MWAA?
        Answer. No.

        Question 3. You will not represent any new clients in the aviation
    space if confirmed?
        Answer. Correct, I will not represent any new clients in the
    aviation space.

        Question 4. Are you aware of any other conflict of interest or the
    appearance of a conflict of interest between MWAA and your lobbying
    work, as defined under the statutory conflicts of interest requirements
    for MWAA or MWAA's code of ethics for members of the board of
    directors? If yes, please list each and provide a complete description
    of how you intend to address each.
        Answer. I am not aware of any other conflicts of interest or the
    appearance of a conflict of interested. I will work with MWAA ethics
    officials to ensure compliance.

        Incomplete Financial Disclosure Paperwork. On August 19, 2025,
    while you still worked at the White House, you executed your OGE 450
    financial disclosure form. This was more than two weeks before you were
    formally nominated for the MWAA Board of Directors position, and it was
    before you started your own lobbying firm. On October 28, 2025, my
    staff requested in writing that you submit an updated OGE 450 to
    accurately reflect, among other things, your reportable private-sector
    income, fees, commissions, and assets. My staff reiterated this
    outstanding item on October 31, November 3, and November 4. To date,
    you have not submitted an updated OGE 450 or a corresponding letter
    from an MWAA ethics official assessing your updated OGE 450 for
    conflicts of interest, despite telling my staff that you would do so.
        This is already a departure from the Committee's practice, which
    typically calls for nominees to submit complete financial disclosure
    and ethics paperwork prior to a nomination hearing.

        Question 1. To confirm: Do you intend to submit a complete OGE 450
    and corresponding MWAA ethics review letter to the Committee?
        Answer. In the addendum filed with the Committee, I have already
    disclosed my income and assets. I will work with MWAA ethics officials
    to ensure compliance.

        Question 2. If yes, by when should the Committee expect to receive
    these materials?
        Answer. As outlined by Mr. Heppen's letter to the Office of
    Government Ethics about my nomination, once appointed to the Board of
    Directors, I will be required to complete the Airports Authority's
    financial disclosure form within 30 days of assuming the position and
    comply with all other applicable ethics policies and procedures, as
    outlined in the Code of Ethics for Members of the Board of Directors.

        Question 3. Do you agree that this Committee is entitled to receive
    your complete financial disclosure paperwork and appropriate ethics
    assessment prior to your nomination proceeding for further
    consideration?
        Answer. I plan to complete the Airports Authority's financial
    disclosure form within 30 days of assuming the position and comply with
    all other applicable ethics policies and procedures, as outlined in the
    Code of Ethics for Members of the Board of Directors.

        Question 4. Will you commit to following all OGE and MWAA agency
    ethics agreements and advice, including recusing from particular
    matters where a conflict of interest or an appearance of a conflict may
    exist?
        Answer. Yes.

        Wages and Benefits for Airport Contract Workers at DCA and Dulles.
    While MWAA leases both airports from the Federal government, MWAA sets
    the wage rates for airport concessions and contract workers employed at
    both DCA and IAD through the Airport Workers Wage Program. In 2019, the
    MWAA Board approved a measure to boost the minimum wage for these
    workers to $15 an hour by 2023. Recently, the MWAA Board approved
    increases to the basic wage rate ensuring compensation at $16.78 an
    hour as of January 1, 2025. The Board also set requirements for covered
    businesses to provide at least 40 hours of paid leave per year for
    full-time covered workers.
        MWAA's workforce supports over 53 million passengers each year and
    passenger traffic grew by 5.8 percent in the preceding year. MWAA's
    workers struggle with high costs of living in the greater DC area and
    deserve wage increases commensurate with the growing passenger traffic
    demands MWAA airports are facing.

        Question 1. Yes or No: If confirmed to be a Member of the Board,
    would you support fair compensation for airport concessions and
    contract workers at DCA and IAD, including wage increases to at a
    minimum keep pace with inflation?
        Answer. I support fair compensation for airport workers, as long as
    we continue to keep costs low for consumers.

        Question 2. Yes or No: If confirmed to be a Member of the Board,
    would you support guaranteeing meaningful benefits such as health
    insurance and paid leave to help attract and retain a stable airport
    concessionaire and contract workforce at DCA and IAD?
        Answer. I support fair compensation for airport workers, as long as
    we continue to keep costs low for consumers.

        Illegal Firings at Independent Agencies. The White House has been
    illegally firing independent Board Members and Commissioners
    responsible for ensuring public safety and protecting consumers. This
    includes Members on the National Transportation Safety Board, Consumer
    Product Safety Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and other
    independent agencies under this Committee's jurisdiction.
        You personally sent e-mails terminating these independent Board
    members without any cause, in violation of the law.

        Question 1. How is the testimony you provided at your hearing,
    during which you said you would not carry out an illegal order,
    consistent with your involvement in initiating these illegal firings?
        Answer. I would refer you to White House counsel and the Department
    of Justice on these matters.

        Question 2. Why should we trust you to be independent and follow
    the law when you have been central to illegally removing independent
    authorities across the Federal government?
        Answer. I would refer you to White House counsel and the Department
    of Justice on these matters.

        Question 3. Do you believe there is any hypocrisy in asking the
    Senate to confirm you to an independent Board position, after you spent
    months in the White House initiating illegal terminations of
    independent Board members?
        Answer. I would refer you to White House counsel and the Department
    of Justice on these matters.
                                     ______

      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Duckworth to
                                  Trent Morse
    Question Topic: Federal Elections
        Question 1. Setting aside the Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Donald Trump received more
    votes than Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential
    election?
        Answer. As I said in my hearing, Congress certified President Trump
    in the 2024 election, verifying the electoral college vote.

        Question 2. Setting aside the official Congressional count and
    certification, do you believe President Joe Biden received more votes
    than President Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election?
        Answer. As I said in my hearing, Congress certified President Biden
    in the 2020 election, verifying the electoral college vote.
                                     ______

       Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Ben Ray Lujan to
                                  Trent Morse
        Question 1. Did Joe Biden lawfully win the 2020 presidential
    election?
        Answer. As I said in my hearing, Congress certified President Biden
    in the 2020 election, verifying the electoral college vote.

        Question 2. Did Donald Trump lawfully win the 2024 presidential
    election?
        Answer. As I said in my hearing, Congress certified President Trump
    in the 2024 election, verifying the electoral college vote.

                                      [all]