releases: http://hultgren.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hultgren-renews-call-for-house-hearing-on-faa-air-traffic-control-hiring
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| http://hultgren.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hultgren-renews-call-for-house-hearing-on-faa-air-traffic-control-hiring | Hultgren Renews Call for House Hearing on FAA Air Traffic Control Hiring Procedures and Cheating Scandal | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | IL | Randy Hultgren | H001059 | hultgren.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) has led a letter along with Reps. Keith Rothfus (PA-12), Patrick Murphy (FL-18), Bill Johnson (OH-06), Austin Scott (GA-08) and Don Young (AK-At-large), urging the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to host a hearing on questionable changes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made in their hiring process of air traffic controllers, and on an alleged cheating scandal involving FAA employees. Key individuals impacted by the cheating scandal report that, despite repeated attempts, FAA officials conducting an internal investigation did not return calls or set up interviews with them to hear their stories and uncover the truth. In a letter to Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio, the Members wrote: Controversy surrounding the FAAs changes to the hiring process of air traffic controllers continues to warrant congressional inquirythere are strong indications that the plan hasresult[ed] in unjust economic injury to qualified candidates and the FAAs very own Collegiate Training Institutions, a historic source of producing qualified candidates. In addition, the letter highlights a behind-the-scenes media investigation into an alleged cheating scandal, revealing that the FAA or aviation-related employees may have assisted in giving potential air traffic controller recruits special access to answers on a key admissions test to help them gain jobs within the FAA. I am deeply disturbed that the FAA would conduct two interagency investigations in response to an alleged cheating scandal affecting thousands of applicants but still not ask the hard questions about the alleged cheating. This mess has gone far enough and the inexcusable lack of clear answers on any questions surrounding the implementation of the new hiring process is unacceptable. My colleagues and I remain adamant in our demand for a hearing to be held immediately to bring in those responsible for these changes, Rep. Hultgren stated. Visit here for the full letter: https://hultgren.house.gov/sites/hultgren.house.gov/files/2015-12-14_Letter_T%26I_Committee_Call_for_FAA_Hearing.pdf. Since December of 2014, Rep. Hultgren has called for FAA officials to appear before Congress to answer for their actions. A former member of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, he has urged the House to act on his legislation,H.R. 1964, the Air Traffic Controllers Hiring Act of 2015(previously known as the SAFE TOWERS Act), to reverse the effects of the FAAs policies and restore safety and confidence to air travel. In addition, Rep. Hultgren successfully passed an amendment to H.R. 2577, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2016, restricting funding for the use of the Biographical Assessment. The FAA is under fire following asix month investigationinto the agencys new hiring practices which for months Rep. Hultgren and his colleagues have argued caused the agency to pass over the most qualified air traffic controller candidates, such as experienced veterans, and have raised concerns of air travel safety. The investigation also uncovered the alleged cheating, which Rep. Hultgrenhas called out in the press. Illinois 14th Congressional District is home to the most air traffic controllers in Illinois. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |