President Joe Biden's pick to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lacks the experience and knowledge of flying required to keep consumers safe, member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Newsmax.
With regard to Phil Washington, who had his first introduction to the aviation industry as Denver International Airport's CEO starting in July of 2021, "we see somebody that's just not qualified" to head the FAA, Budd told "Spicer & Co."
The senator said he "doesn't put this on" Washington, "who has served our country admirably" as a member of the Army from 1976 to 2000, has lead in Denver's Regional Transportation District from 2000 to 2015, and served as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's CEO from 2015 to 2021.
"I want to put this on Joe Biden, because really, his nominees have not been good for our country," Budd added.
Biden's picks for other regulatory agencies have been based on politics rather than qualifications, according to Budd.
Budd said "it's time for" Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg "to step down, because, remember, you don't need to play politics for these jobs, as evidently Joe Biden has done, you need to focus on the mission of the department, and that's for safety."
"And he obviously hasn't done that whether it comes to railways or the response to it. We're always going to have challenges we need to deal with. But you don't wait 12 days. You jump on it immediately, and you make sure that it doesn't happen again. And he certainly hasn't done that."
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