The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today narrowly approved the nomination of Bryan Bedford to serve as FAA administrator, clearing the way for Senate floor consideration. The 15-to-13 vote in the committee came as the nomination has drawn opposition from the Democrat leadership and others, such as famed pilot Sully Sullenberger, over his stance on the 1,500-hour rule.
Bedford, president and CEO of Republic Airways, in past has lobbied for a change in the 1,500-hour threshold for commercial airline pilots. During his confirmation hearing, he was repeatedly pressed about his stance on the rule and asked to commit to not having any involvement with changing it. Bedford responded that his focus is on air traffic control modernization rather than a rule change. He also pledged not to support actions that would compromise training or pilot safety.
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