Document 8V8Rrxew1LvN41RjEjZwV1N1B

BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK 1ST DISTRICT, PENNSYLVANIA PROBLEM SOLVERS CAUCUS CO-CHAIRMAN 271 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515 (202) 225-4276 1717 LANGHORNE-NEWTOWN RD. SUITE 225 LANGHORNE, PA 19047 (215) 579-8102 Congregcs of tly Einiteb iptateg liptiOe of ilepre5entatibeci Zilla51jington, 11DC 20515 COMMITTEES INTELLIGENCE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE WAYS AND MEANS OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS HEALTH FOREIGN AFFAIRS INTELLIGENCE LIAISON NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY June 5, 2025 The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Secretary Duffy, First, thank you for your steadfast commitment to prioritizing the safety of passengers, pilots, and flight crews. At a time when public confidence in air travel has been shaken by recent accidents, it is essential that Congress and the Administration work hand-in-hand to rebuild that trust, keep America's airlines and operators fully accountable, and ensure that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation. As you know, nearly two decades after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, President Trump and Congress took an important step toward securing the flight deck of U.S. passenger airplanes with the enactment of the Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2018. This law directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a rule requiring the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on all newly manufactured commercial passenger aircraft. That rule, finalized in June 2023, provided a two-year implementation window for this safety measure. The installation of these barriers is set to begin on aircraft coming off the production line this August 2025. I was deeply concerned to see recent reporting that, despite having already had the opportunity to provide input and at such juncture having requested a delayed implementation date, Airlines for America is again asking for more time before prioritizing the safety of their new aircraft. Let me be clear: it is indefensible that this request to undermine the law has been made and worse, that any airline is willing to continue to jeopardize the safety of their own pilots, flight crews, and passengers in the pursuit of a delay. At the time the FAA proposed this rule, the time before the installation of secondary cockpit barriers were required was a matter of debate. Public comments from public safety advocates, passengers, and airline workers called for an expedited implementation timeline of one year, whereas the airlines demanded three years' time. When the time came to finalize the rule, the FAA was not silent on the issue: the agency stood firm and kept to the proposed, reasonable two-year timeline for compliance. OST-2025-1200 Page 02056 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027937 Mr. Secretary, nearly twenty-four years have passed since that fateful September day when we lost nearly 3000 lives in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. In the weeks and years that followed, as a nation promised to "Never Forget." Congress acted on that commitment with the passage of this law, and again in 2024 by extending the rulemaking to include the retrofit of all passenger aircraft. Never again can the cockpit be left so vulnerably open to attack. Twenty-four years is long enough: the time for the installation of secondary barriers to begin is beyond overdue and it is incumbent on the FAA to not delay implementation of this Congressionally authorized national security measure any further. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy matter, please contact Matthew Clarkin (matthew.clarkin@mail.house.gov) and Charles Dent (charles.dent@mail.house.gov) in my office. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Brian Fitzpatrick Member of Congress cc: Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation OST-2025-1200 Page 02057 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027938