House Narrowly Rejects Air Safety Bill After Pentagon Opposition
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The House voted 264-133 against the ROTOR Act, bipartisan legislation requiring planes to carry tracking technology that could have prevented a deadly midair collision over the Potomac River last year.
- The bill had previously passed the Senate unanimously but lost momentum after the Defense Department withdrew support over national security and cost concerns, leading many Republicans to oppose it in the House.
- The vote fell just short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass, with 35 members not voting and GOP leaders closing the vote amid ongoing voting.
- Families of victims expressed deep disappointment, criticizing the government for failing to implement safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
- The ROTOR Act was Congress’s main legislative effort to address safety gaps revealed by the fatal collision
