Lawmakers question FAA's resolve amid Boeing investigations

Foushee likened the FAA’s actions to amend whistleblower claims to a game of “whack-a-mole” — Boeing would claim to address something only to have a similar issue crop up somewhere else.

“Nonetheless, FAA should have been much more aggressive with Boeing management, and there is some evidence that is happening now,” Foushee said. “Boeing’s safety culture has crumbled, and it isn’t going to be easy to fix without a dramatic slow-down in production.”

‘Turning around’ the FAA

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in an interview last week that she intends to invite FAA officials to a hearing soon to learn more about how the agency intends to step up its oversight efforts. Cantwell relayed instances of line engineers reporting safety concerns and being overridden by both Boeing and the FAA.

The committee’s own investigation into Boeing will likely lead to separate aviation safety legislation later this year, building on provisions in the 2020 aviation safety law in response to the two 737 Max crashes, she said.

“When line engineers say there’s a problem, [the FAA] needs to back them up,” she said. “That’s what we want to see from an administrator being aggressive.”

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security Investigations Subcommittee that is conducting a separate probe into Boeing, said in interviews that they intend to investigate the FAA’s oversight capabilities. Both said it was too soon to tell what kind of action was required.

“The question is whether these federal agencies have sufficient authority now,” Blumenthal said. “It may just be that they’re failing to enforce the law . . . but if there are gaps in authority, we’ll move forward to fill them.”

Senators from both committees, however, lauded Whitaker for “turning around” the agency in recent months. Whitaker became administrator in October after the position was vacant for over a year.

“I think the administrator is doing a good job, and I think he’s taking his responsibilities seriously,” Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in an interview. “It is a difficult job and there clearly have been problems over the years with the FAA, at times, getting too cozy with industry players.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., chair of the panel’s aviation subcommittee, said at a press conference that she’s hoping to see the FAA use its civil enforcement authority, which allows it to exact penalties for various violations.

“I want to hear real steps towards a willingness within the FAA to take a closer look and scrutinize Boeing actions,” she said.

Pierson said his organization gave 35 recommendations to the FAA and Transportation Department to improve oversight of Boeing, which includes assigning more FAA inspectors at Boeing’s 737 factory and setting up more aggressive task forces to address safety concerns.

An FAA spokesperson said that Whitaker has made it clear “this won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing,” adding that the company must commit to “real and profound improvements,” and that the FAA intends to hold the company accountable.

Boeing said in a statement that the company is acting on the FAA’s findings and has been working transparently to improve safety culture since 2020, although “we know we have more work to do.”

“Boeing is a great American company, and it is unambiguously in the United States’ interest to have Boeing as a strong and vibrant manufacturer of aircraft,” Cruz said. “[But] if the flying public loses confidence, the consequences could be enormous.”