- Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington withdrawing his nomination was announced late Saturday night in a tweet by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
- Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent, and Montana Democrat Jon Tester, a moderate, reportedly opposed Washington’s nomination, effectively ending his bid to get enough Senate votes to be nominated to the post. However, the senators have declined to say how they would have voted.
- “The FAA needs a confirmed administrator, and Phil Washington’s transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee,” Buttigieg tweeted Saturday night. “The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service.”
- Washington ran transit agencies in Denver and Los Angeles, but his only aviation-related experience is serving as chief executive officer of the Denver airport for less than two years.
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Biden FAA Pick Withdraws, Lack Of Experience, Senate Democrat Support Cited
"Needed on-the-job training” – GOP Sen. Ted Cruz
FILE - Phillip Washington, the nominee to become administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee at the Capitol in Washington, March 1, 2023. A vote on President Joe Biden's choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration, Denver International Airport CEO Washington, was delayed indefinitely Wednesday, March 22, in the face of an opposition blitz by Republicans, who say the nominee lacks enough experience in aviation to lead the agency, which is under pressure to stem a surge is dangerous close calls between planes. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
