Homendy’s NTSB Reappointment Before Senate
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The nomination of Jennifer Homendy to continue leading the National Transportation Safety Board awaits a vote in the Senate.
Democrats governing in the majority have yet to schedule a floor vote on her nomination. On May 1, the Senate Commerce Committee easily approved Homendy’s nomination. The independent agency’s current leader, she has gained bipartisan praise from senators.
Prior to the committee’s vote, Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) told her colleagues, “During her time on the board, Chair Homendy has been a fierce advocate for safety.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the panel’s ranking member, lent his support to Homendy as the nominee. Last month, he touted her record on the job.
“Chairwoman Homendy has performed her roles at NTSB well, advocating for safety regardless of the politics,” he said in April. “For example, she has correctly observed the dangers of electric vehicles because of their increased weight and the risk of battery fires. She has worked diligently to investigate several high-profile transportation incidents, such as the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio; the door plug blowout of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282; and, most recently, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.”
Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) back Jennifer Homendy's nomination to lead the National Transportation Safety Board.
Responding to questions from the committee, Homendy detailed her agency’s approach to investigations, outreach communication and fact-finding assignments.
“The NTSB’s investigative process is explicitly designed to ensure urgent safety issues can be addressed before we complete an investigation,” she said. “We have issued numerous critical investigative updates, urgent or early safety recommendations, and safety alerts over the course of our many investigations when such updates are warranted by the facts at hand.”
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NTSB’s report about the Ohio derailment in February 2023 is expected to be unveiled in June, Homendy told the committee.
Specific to the investigation into the Baltimore bridge, she told senators: “This is a complex investigation. Additionally, some issues can impact our ability to complete investigations in a timely manner; for example, access to evidence.
“We need to make sure that any criminal investigation of the bridge strike and collapse is conducted separate and apart from our safety investigation and that we have timely access to all potential evidence.”
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President Joe Biden nominated Homendy to a three-year appointment as the agency’s chairwoman. She has been in that leadership role since 2021.
“She has presided over numerous public meetings to deliberate and finalize NTSB investigations in all modes of transportation, provided expert testimony at the federal and state levels on a wide range of transportation safety issues, and launched with the NTSB ‘Go Team’ on myriad investigations,” according to background about the nominee from the White House. “She is a staunch advocate for improving safety across all modes of transportation.”
