US EditionHouse votes down aviation safety bill amid GOP, Pentagon concerns
The ROTOR Act fell short by 133 votes despite Senate support and family backing, after the Pentagon cited security and budget concerns for withdrawing approval.
- Under a fast-track suspension vote, the ROTOR Act failed when the House of Representatives fell one vote short of the two-thirds support needed, with a final tally of 264-133, one day after the Pentagon withdrew support.
- The ROTOR Act was introduced in July 2025 by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and co-sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., after the Jan. 29 midair collision; it mandates wider ADS-B In use and closes a DoD exemption.
- The Federal Aviation Administration explains that Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast uses satellite signals to track aircraft with more precision than radar; American Airlines equipped more than 300 Airbus A321s for $50,000 apiece, while general aviation pilots use a portable receiver costing about $400.
- Families of Flight 5342 victims said they were disappointed and will continue to push, while Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pledged to press House leadership to bring the ROTOR Act back for a vote.
- Amid competing legislation, House leaders advanced the ALERT Act, which includes broader route oversight and quarterly compliance reports, and House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves said it could be marked up next week.
93 Articles
93 Articles
U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support
The House of Representatives narrowly rejected an aviation safety bill that was spurred by the deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, one day after the Pentagon abruptly withdrew its support for the bipartisan bill.The ROTOR Act, as the bill is known, would require wider use of a safety system known as ADS-B in and ADS-B out, which can transmit an aircraft’s location to other aircraft. It would also limit exemptions for milit…
BREAKING: Darrell Issa Votes Against Aviation Safety
Darrell Issa just showed once again how out-of-touch he is with California – this time by voting against a bipartisan aviation safety bill. Issa cast the deciding vote against the ROTOR Act, bipartisan legislation which “would have required planes to carry a type of tracking technology that federal investigators determined could have helped avoid a midair collision over the Potomac River last year that killed 67 people.” Before Issa cast his in…
Military Times
House rejects bill requiring aircraft locator systems to prevent midair collisions like last year’s
The House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that was crafted after last year’s tragic midair collision near Washington, D.C., to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people in January 2025.The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed…
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