After a private tour inside of a San Diego airport traffic control tower, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke to members of the media Thursday.
“It is old equipment, there's equipment that is broken that they don't have access to because it doesn't work,” Duffy said of the control tower.
'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'
He said the San Diego control tower's condition isn't uncommon. He’s urging Congress to pass President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to “begin upgrading the U.S.’s aging air traffic control systems.”
Included in the bill are significant tax cuts, Medicaid cuts and green energy cuts — among many other changes.
Another component is a $12.5 billion investment in upgrading the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control system.
“This is what we're seeing in America, across the country. And it is long overdue that we actually put the money, put the resources into fixing our air traffic control system,” Duffy said.
The call for FAA funding follows several high profile plane crashes across the country this year.
- NTSB says runway lights that might have helped in foggy San Diego crash hadn't worked since 2022
- Victims of fatal plane crash off coast of San Diego ID'd
- Coast Guard suspends search for victims of plane crash off coast of Point Loma
- 6 killed in light plane crash off coast of Point Loma
- What we know about the San Diego plane crash and the 6 on board who died
A 'critical need'
Duffy said that money would upgrade telecommunications from copper wires to fiber. It will also provide funds for new radios, voice switches, radar technology and some tower upgrades.
“This is a critical need for us. The challenges facing our nation’s air traffic control system didn't just arise overnight, but they're here today,” said Frank McIntosh, the FAA’s Chief Operating Officer.
Democrats in opposition
All House Democrats unanimously opposed the bill. In a May press release Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) said:
“... this bill is a disaster for working families. It would rip health care away from 14 million Americans — including over 25,000 in my district — by slashing Medicaid and imposing harsh work requirements. It would take food assistance away from up to 10 million Americans," Levin said. "It would drive up household energy bills, even as nearly 80 million Americans already struggle to pay for utilities.”
Congressional Republicans are hoping to have the bill to President Trump's desk by July 4.
