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3w ago

House Blocks Senate ROTOR Air-Safety Bill by One Vote After Pentagon Reversal

House leaders are shifting to a competing ALERT Act that forgoes a universal ADS‑B In mandate.

Families of victims of D.C. collision push Congress for new law. Nearly all no votes on the bill came from Republicans.
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U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) speaks during a memorial event marking the one-year anniversary of the midair collision involving American Eagle flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, at DAR Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 28, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
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Overview

  • The ROTOR Act failed in the House 264–133 under suspension of the rules, falling one vote short of the two‑thirds needed for passage.
  • Most Republican members voted no, with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher as the only Democrat opposing the bill.
  • The Pentagon withdrew support days before the vote, citing unresolved costs and operational security risks, while Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell said the bill protected classified flights.
  • Backers including NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and victims' families argued an ADS‑B In requirement could have prevented the January 2025 midair collision that killed 67.
  • The Senate‑passed bill would mandate ADS‑B In and narrow military exemptions; House Transportation Chair Sam Graves plans a markup next week on the alternative ALERT Act, which addresses NTSB recommendations without imposing a blanket ADS‑B In rule.