The Senate on Dec. 17 passed Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) bill that creates new safety requirements for nearly all aircraft and helicopters, while also stripping a provision out of the recently passed defense bill that several lawmakers say created a dangerous loophole for military helicopters.
Cruz’s ROTOR Act passed by unanimous consent, a fast-track mechanism that bypasses a formal vote if no lawmaker stands up to contest it.
The bill “will save lives,” the Texas senator said ahead of its passage on Wednesday afternoon. Cruz serves as chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
“This bill will be a fitting way to honor the lives of those lost nearly one year ago over the Potomac River,” Cruz wrote on social media. “The goal of the victims’ families is to ensure no one else endures a similar avoidable, completely unnecessary, tragedy.”…
Senate Passes Aviation Safety Bill Aiming to Prevent Further Midair Collisions
