During remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about major disruptions and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
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00:00The Democratic leader. Mr. President, the closer you look at the troubles at Newark Airport,
00:05the more alarming the story gets. For months, especially over the past week or so,
00:11operations at Newark Airport have been mired by chaos, delays, and crippling system outages.
00:18It was recently reported that on Monday, April 28th, air traffic controllers overseeing Newark
00:24lost all communications with planes in the air for up to 90 seconds, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.
00:33That's 90 seconds of a wholly filled-up sky of planes literally flying blind over one of America's busiest airports.
00:45Thank God nothing happened, but we tempt fate if no changes are made.
00:49If during 90 seconds the system goes down and so many airplanes are flying so close to each other in a congested airport,
00:58that is really sounding five-alarm fire.
01:02What was the culprit of this blackout?
01:04It was a burnt copper wire that shut communications down.
01:09This is unacceptable.
01:10We can't keep America's planes safe in 2025 if we rely on copper wires and floppy disks.
01:20Our air traffic controllers and America's travelers deserve far more.
01:25Copper wires, floppy disks, 2025, when it comes to safety, the FAA is way behind the eight ball.
01:35Yesterday, I called on the Office of the Inspector General at the FAA to conduct a full investigation
01:41into the deteriorating conditions at Newark Airport
01:45and to examine how we can prevent these problems from spreading to other airports around the country.
01:52When Newark alone gets backed up, it affects other airports because it's such a busy hub.
01:56But if this starts happening at other airports, our air travel is in real trouble, even more trouble than it is now.
02:05Donald Trump's FAA has failed spectacularly this year in showing the American people
02:12that the Trump administration is up to the task of keeping people safe.
02:16We need to get to the bottom as to why.
02:19The public deserves answers to some very important questions.
02:23Why has the staffing shortages at Newark and other critical airports been allowed to continue?
02:28What role has Doge Cuts played in aggravating the chaos?
02:33What is the plan to fill the vacancies of critical leadership at the FAA?
02:38Some of the top positions are not filled because some of the people there who were very capable
02:43resigned in disgust at what the administration was trying to do to the FAA.
02:48We have seen chaos throughout the administration, and clearly it's here at the FAA,
02:54an agency that cannot afford any chaos whatsoever, because lives are at stake.
03:00The longer the FAA and the administration slow walk these troubles,
03:05the greater the risk of a true catastrophe.
03:08The longer the FAA is a major threat, the more the challenges we'll find are at stake.
03:22The more the changes we've already started are within the future,
03:27the more the changes we've been had is the four PAA is more than expected.
03:30The more this is the highest rate, the more the changes we've been at stake.