The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, putting him in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents , including the January collision near Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people.
Bedford was confirmed on a near party-line vote, 53-43.
Republicans and industry leaders lauded President Donald Trump's choice of Bedford, citing his experience as CEO of regional airline Republic Airways since 1999. Sen. Ted Cruz , the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, called Bedford a 'steady leader with executive experience."
But Democrats and flight safety advocates opposed his nomination, citing Bedford's lack of commitment to the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots that was put in place by Congress after a 2009 plane crash in New York.
Bedford declined during his confirmation hearing to commit to upholding a rule requiring 1,500 hours of training for pilots, saying only that he would not "have anything that will reduce safety."