1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing as a deeply concerned constituent regarding the Trump administration’s reckless and shortsighted approach to staffing at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as recently reported in Government Executive on May 15, 2025. While the administration claims to be “supercharging” air traffic controller (ATC) hiring, it is simultaneously gutting the very support staff who make the national airspace system function. This contradiction is not only alarming—it is dangerous. Encouraging over 2,700 employees to resign under the so-called “deferred resignation program” while openly floating the prospect of layoffs, all amid a critical staffing crisis, is not a responsible strategy. This isn’t about trimming fat—it’s cutting into the bone of our aviation safety infrastructure. These aren’t paper-pushers being shown the door; they are engineers, safety technicians, maintenance specialists, and aviation safety personnel whose work directly impacts the safety of every passenger flying in U.S. airspace. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s claim that “we will be leaner” and his delusion that “we can do more with less” ignores the very real consequences of hollowing out the FAA’s workforce. His cavalier remarks about being able to “hire people back in” are not only tone-deaf—they reveal a total misunderstanding of the time, training, and expertise required to adequately staff this critical agency. Let us not forget that recent catastrophic incidents—including the fatal collision over Washington, D.C. and the communications blackout at Newark—have occurred under this administration’s watch. The correlation between reduced staffing, increased fatigue, and compromised safety is well-established. It is beyond irresponsible to gamble with American lives in the name of bureaucratic efficiency or political posturing. I am calling on you, as my elected representative, to demand immediate oversight hearings, to push back against these dangerous staffing reductions, and to fight for adequate funding and staffing levels across the entire FAA—not just the controllers, but the engineers, safety inspectors, mechanics, and other indispensable personnel. Safety in the skies should never be sacrificed for budget optics or misguided ideology. We need you to speak out. We need legislation. And above all, we need action—before another tragedy reminds us of what this administration has so casually put at risk.