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The nomination of Steven Bradbury as Deputy Secretary of Transportation has led to a division among Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The discussions have focused on the Department of Transportation's (DOT) actions during the Boeing 737 MAX crisis in 2018 and 2019.
Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, expressed concerns about Bradbury's past role at the DOT during Donald Trump's administration. She highlighted that after the fatal Lion Air 737 MAX crash in October 2018, Bradbury's policies halted an aviation safety rule advocated by crash victim families. "He sidelined a proposed requirement that plane manufacturers must adopt a mandatory Safety Management System (SMS)," Cantwell stated.
During the hearing, Cantwell questioned why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under DOT, did not thoroughly review Boeing following the crash. Bradbury agreed on the need for strong SMS with accountability. "With real penalties, and we need to be tougher on Boeing," he said.
