Seattle City Wire

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Washington's 7th district, recently shared her views on several actions taken by former President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures related to aviation safety and government oversight. In a series of tweets dated January 31, 2025, Jayapal expressed concerns about these developments.

In one tweet, Rep. Jayapal highlighted an early decision made during Trump's presidency: "On day two of his presidency, Trump also removed all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which he described as 'eliminating misuse of resources.' Firing key personnel who are focused on keeping air travel safe is so unbelievably reckless."

Further addressing issues of corporate influence over governmental bodies, she stated: "When industry execs exert power over govt agencies, they work in their own interests — not the public’s. We saw it with Boeing doing their own inspections instead of the FAA and the problems that caused. And now we’re seeing it with Trump’s billionaire administration."

Rep. Jayapal also commented on leadership changes within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), mentioning a prominent figure in aerospace: "We’ve also got foxes guarding the henhouse. Former FAA head Michael Whitaker, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, had fined Elon Musk’s SpaceX for repeated safety violations. Then, Shadow President Musk demanded Whitaker’s resignation, leaving the FAA without a leader."