At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) questioned Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy about air traffic controllers.
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00:00Now we go to Senator Kennedy.
00:03Thank you, Madam Chair, Mr. Secretary. Welcome.
00:07It's good to be with you, Senator.
00:12You know what the Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas is?
00:20Why, yes, I do.
00:23Where are you going to put it?
00:24I think it's going to go in your state, Senator.
00:30When are you going to announce it?
00:33Very soon.
00:34I know our teams have been working together on that.
00:37If you want to front-run it here, we could,
00:40but I know that we were working on an announcement together,
00:43and our teams have been working.
00:44I want to front-run the hell out of it.
00:46All right.
00:48Where's it going to be put?
00:50In Louisiana?
00:51Lake, what it would?
00:53McNeese.
00:54Lake Charles, Lake Neese, Lake Charles.
00:57And you're going to make an announcement, Sean, the next few days?
01:01Yeah.
01:01I know we've been working on some finer points and details,
01:04but, yes, that's where it's going to go.
01:07And I think, if my memory serves me,
01:11I think we're trying to get this stood up and moving by this summer.
01:16Well, I want to get it announced first.
01:20Sure.
01:20So your colleagues can't take it back?
01:24No one's taking anything from you, Senator.
01:26It's coming your way.
01:28I see my old friend, Mr. Plotkin, here.
01:32Watch him like a hawk, by the way.
01:35He said you do not want to make Senator Kennedy upset on this project.
01:39Well, your predecessor told me a number of times
01:45that it was about to be announced, and it was never announced.
01:50I don't mean any disrespect.
01:53I just finally didn't believe him anymore.
01:56I don't think Elvis is alive either.
01:59So I learned.
02:01But if you could go ahead and announce it, it sure would.
02:05I'll buy you a soda and a nice hat.
02:11I would appreciate that.
02:12Okay.
02:13When you got to the department and became secretary,
02:16did you fire a bunch of air traffic controllers?
02:20I did not, Senator.
02:22Did Mr. Musk do that?
02:24He did not.
02:26Where did all this stuff come from?
02:28So there were about 350 probationary employees at the FAA that were let go.
02:38And we're trying to stream.
02:38By the way, there's 46,000 people that work at the FAA.
02:41So this was a minuscule percentage.
02:44But even air traffic controllers who were probationary employees were excluded.
02:49All safety positions were preserved at the FAA, including air traffic controllers.
02:54And so I think it's a narrative that some in media and in politics have tried to drive
03:01as if we're not focused on safety.
03:03But I have been crystal clear, and I think I've said this until my face is blue,
03:08though it's not today.
03:09But it could be because we did not actually fire any air traffic controllers, Senator.
03:17We've been hiring air traffic controllers as quickly as we can.
03:21And so I don't know how many times I have to say it.
03:23Let's say it one more time.
03:25Yes.
03:25When you became secretary, look me in the eye.
03:28Did you fire any air traffic controllers?
03:31I did not.
03:31Okay.
03:32And I did hire air traffic controllers.
03:33Did Mr. Musk?
03:36So, by the way, Mr. Musk doesn't fire or hire anybody at the department.
03:39I do.
03:40And so, no, he didn't fire anybody, including air traffic controllers.
03:43Okay.
03:43You probably don't have to, but when most people go through TSA, they take your picture.
03:56They have a little camera there, and they say, look in the camera.
04:01We want to take your picture.
04:02Now, underneath it is this little bitty sign that you can barely see, and I think it's
04:10written in Sanskrit that says, this is optional.
04:15I won't let them take my picture.
04:17I won't either, Senator.
04:18And they promised us that they destroy the data.
04:28Okay.
04:29Once again, I don't believe that Elvis is alive either.
04:34Senator Merkley and I have a bill.
04:38There's been no evidence that this has prevented any acts of terrorism.
04:43And I just don't know why the federal government has to collect this huge database of every
04:53American who flies picture.
04:57I thank you for that.
04:58I couldn't agree with you more.
05:01I actually try to turn my head away from the camera when I go through and they're taking
05:06pictures.
05:07There's no need.
05:08I think Americans have a right to privacy.
05:10And I don't think you need a digital scan of my face to allow me to have the right to
05:15fly on an airplane.
05:16I think it's absolutely wrong.
05:17And what does it do to security?
05:19I don't think it breeds any more security in our airspace, on our airplanes.
05:23And so thank you for doing that work.
05:25I couldn't agree with you more.
05:26Thank you, Madam Chair.