House Narrowly Rejects Air Safety Bill After Pentagon Opposition
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The House voted 264-133 against the ROTOR Act, bipartisan aviation safety 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 due to national security and cost concerns, leading to opposition primarily from Republicans.
- The failed vote was narrowly short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass, with 35 members not voting and GOP leaders closing the vote while some were still casting ballots.
- Families of victims, including Rachel Feres whose relatives died in the crash, expressed deep disappointment, criticizing the government for failing to implement safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.
- The ROTOR Act
