RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces New Actions to Protect Jersey Skies After Massive Layoffs at FAA & Recent Accidents

Above: Gottheimer announces new legislation at Newark Liberty International Airport.

NEWARK, NJ — Today, February 21, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Newark Liberty International Airport to announce new actions to protect the FAA workforce against reckless cuts from the Trump Administration, which would put the safety of passengers in the nation’s busiest airspace at risk.

Gottheimer is fighting back against the Administration’s recent decision this week to fire nearly 400 essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) despite fourteen major plane crashes in 2025 alone. 

A recording of the announcement can be found here.

Recent Trouble with Air Safety: 

• In 2024, the Port Authority reported that 146 million air passengers flew in and out of the New Jersey-New York metro area — that’s a new record.
• More than 90 percent of our nation’s air traffic control facilities operate below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels.
  • More than 70 facilities across the country are missing at least a quarter of their recommended workforce.
• As of December 2024, the FAA had a technician shortage of about 800 workers. 
• There have been 14 major airplane crashes in just January and February of this year alone.
  • At least 87 airline deaths have occurred in American airspace so far in 2025.

Gottheimer’s Plan to Protect Jersey Skies:

• Gottheimer will introduce new legislation to prohibit major staffing cuts at the FAA if a fatal crash has occurred in US airspace within the last year.
• Gottheimer is sending a letter to the Trump Administration, demanding answers on key safety initiatives required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which Gottheimer helped pass into law.
  • The legislation requires the FAA to deploy critical safety technology at airports across the country to help prevent “close calls” on and around our runways over the next five years.
• Gottheimer proudly helped write, negotiate, and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included more than $15 billion in federal investments to support projects to increase airport safety. 

o    Last summer, New Jersey airports received $53 million to improve air traffic infrastructure, upgrade terminals, and enhance runway safety. 

o    Newark Liberty International Airport specifically received more than $42 million. 

• Gottheimer helped negotiate and pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, which included his amendment to require a secondary cockpit barrier to be installed on all commercial aircraft to help prevent airplane hijacking.

“While the number of flights has surged, the number of aviation workers protecting us hasn’t kept pace. Despite all of this, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing hundreds of these critical FAA workers at our airports across the country. Firing FAA workers is just plain stupid and puts Jersey families and passengers at risk,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Gottheimer continued, “If we want to reassure families that we are doing everything to protect the lives of their loved ones, we can’t also tell them there will be fewer workers looking out for their safety when they fly. I will never stop fighting to ensure that all of our families across the country are safe and can return home to their loved ones. To anyone who tries to play political games with our air safety — we’re not going to let that fly in Jersey.”

Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good morning. It’s great to be back at Newark Airport.

In just the last year, the Port Authority reported that 146 million air passengers flew in and out of the New Jersey-New York metro area — that’s a new record. While the number of flights has surged, the number of aviation workers protecting us hasn’t kept pace.

Not too long ago, I was here, visiting the tower, where I saw first-hand air traffic controllers working around-the-clock to keep our skies safe. It’s a grueling job, and, as you know, they are woefully understaffed. Many are working overtime, incredibly long hours, and back-to-back shifts. The situation for air traffic controllers is so dire that more than 90 percent of our nation’s air traffic control facilities operate below the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s recommended staffing levels. 

In fact, nearly one fourth of those locations — more than 70 across the country — are missing at least a quarter of their recommended workforce. These safety professionals and their support staff help build out flight paths, help with the data support and technology in the towers and on the ground, and do trainings. We have the best people in the business there, but it’s not easy. 

Now, we also have a huge shortage of these FAA workers. That’s a huge problem. As of last December, we were 800 short FAA technicians. At many facilities, workers are forced to work mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks just to fill in the gaps. Technicians fix and operate safety-critical pieces of equipment, including radars and communications technology, every day to keep us safe. They are on the ground and in the towers, helping handle the huge surge of air traffic.

More people are flying across our country with less staff on the ground to handle this huge increase in air traffic.  

That’s why I’m here today — because, despite all of this, starting last Friday, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing hundreds of these critical FAA workers at our airports across the country. Given our current FAA staffing shortages, the jump in flight delays, and the tragic number of recent airplane crashes and near misses, that makes zero sense. 

Let me say this again: the Trump Administration wants to barrel ahead and slash down the aviation workforce — despite the fact that there have been 14 fatal airplane crashes in just January and February of this year alone. 

Why would you lay off critical aviation workers who protect our safety? That shows zero thinking and strategy. The FAA and air traffic safety are no place to slash and burn and create chaos.

Last month, we lost 67 souls in a tragic crash over the Potomac River in Washington, DC. Two days later, seven people were killed when a medical jet carrying a child patient crashed in Philadelphia. A week after that ten people were killed when a plane went down in Alaska. Two more were lost just a few days ago in Arizona. And, of course, there was the plane that flipped upside down this week in Toronto. At least 87 people have died so far this year. 

If we want to reassure families that we are doing everything to protect the lives of their loved ones, we can’t also tell them there will be fewer workers looking out for their safety when they fly. 

Once we lose these workers, making up the difference is an uphill battle. Under the best circumstances, it can take more than four years just to train a single air traffic controller. Training FAA technicians and mechanics can take more than two years.

Today, I’m announcing new actions to fight back against these FAA cuts, help keep our aviation workers on the job, keep our skies safe, and ensure the safety of our families when they fly.

First, I’m announcing new legislation to prohibit major staff cuts at the FAA if a fatal crash has occurred in US airspace within the last year. When it comes to supporting those who work hard every day to protect us, we can’t cut corners on our safety.

Second, last year, I helped pass the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. It requires the FAA, over the next five years, to deploy critical safety technology at airports across the country to help prevent “close calls” on, and around our runways. 

Today, I’m sending a letter to the Administration, demanding that they keep and fast-track this initiative. They can’t gut that program, freeze the resources, or cut staff working on that. 

Finally, as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Financial Services Committee, I understand how critical air travel safety is to our national security. Unfortunately, we have seen firsthand, in these skies above us, what can happen if a terrorist gets control of an airplane. 

You want the best people protecting us in the towers — able to respond quickly and smartly. I proudly helped write, negotiate, and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included more than $15 billion in federal investments to support projects to increase airport safety. This legislation is paying dividends right here in Jersey. 

Last summer, New Jersey airports received $53 million to improve our air traffic infrastructure, upgrade our terminals, and enhance our runway safety. Newark specifically received more than $42 million. Also, the FAA Reauthorization Act that I helped get signed into law requires a secondary cockpit barrier to be installed on all commercial aircraft to help prevent airplane hijacking, a commonsense safety requirement that could prevent the next 9/11 from ever happening. Now is not the time to back off of the safety of our skies.

I will never stop fighting to ensure that all of our families across the country are safe, and can return home to their loved ones. We’re here today to tell anyone who tries to play political games with our air safety — we’re not going to let that fly in Jersey.

To be clear: I’m all for government efficiency, and I have a record of that. But not for stupidity.  And, firing FAA workers is just plain stupid and puts Jersey families and passengers at risk.

So, let’s work together and solve this problem.

As long as we do that, I know that here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us. Thank you. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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