House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon balks : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- The House of Representatives narrowly rejected the ROTOR Act, an aviation safety bill aimed at preventing midair collisions by requiring wider use of ADS-B technology and limiting military helicopter exemptions.
- The bill had unanimous Senate approval and strong support from crash victims' families but lost momentum after the Pentagon withdrew support, citing budgetary and operational security concerns.
- Key Republican leaders opposed the bill, arguing it would compromise national security by forcing military aircraft to broadcast their locations and described it as a burdensome mandate for pilots.
- Alternative bipartisan legislation, the ALERT Act, backed by influential GOP committee chairs, sets up a potential conflict in Congress, though it lacks support from the NTSB, aviation unions, and victims' families.
- Despite the House vote, advocates
