During a Senate hearing, Democratic senators questioned Steven Bradbury, President Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary of the Transportation Department, regarding his handling of the congressional investigation into two Boeing 737 Max crashes. Critics, including Senator Maria Cantwell, accused him of obstructing the investigation, while Bradbury defended his record by stating his office aimed to ensure complete responses to congressional inquiries. The Boeing investigation remains critical due to the involvement of victim families, who expressed concerns about transparency. Bradbury also addressed various safety topics and acknowledged the importance of the Essential Air Service program, but a vote on his nomination is pending.
On Thursday, Democratic senators interrogated Steven Bradbury, President Trump’s pick for deputy secretary of the Transportation Department, regarding his management of the congressional investigation into two Boeing Max plane crashes that occurred in 2018 and 2019, as well as his safety record from his prior tenure at the agency.
The investigation into Boeing took place during Mr. Trump’s initial administration, with Mr. Bradbury, 66, holding the position of general counsel of the Transportation Department from late 2017 until January 2021. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the legal work of the agency and coordinating its legislative and regulatory initiatives.
According to the investigative report led by Senator Roger Wicker, the then-chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Mr. Bradbury’s office hindered the investigation by blocking interviews with Federal Aviation Administration employees who possessed crucial information and by not providing documents requested by the committee.
The report also claims that due to interference from Mr. Bradbury’s office, the Senate committee’s investigators were “unable to effectively engage directly with the F.A.A. on document requests or related questions, despite repeated requests and assurances.”
During the hearing, Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, condemned Mr. Bradbury’s record of what she termed “selectively using the law to achieve predetermined outcomes” during both his tenure at the department and his previous time at the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2009.
“You were responsible for overseeing the department’s regulatory actions and implementing President Trump’s regulatory reform agenda,” Ms. Cantwell stated regarding Mr. Bradbury’s previous role in the Trump administration. “In this capacity, you facilitated the reduction of multiple safety requirements under the pretense of promoting a reform agenda.”
In defense of his prior service at the Transportation Department, Mr. Bradbury argued that his office was inundated with information requests from Congress at the time of the Boeing investigation and that he aimed to ensure thoroughness in the agency’s responses before replying.
“Our objective was to assist in fulfilling the oversight requests, not to obstruct them,” Mr. Bradbury asserted.
If confirmed, Mr. Bradbury would be responsible for managing the agency’s operations, including the F.A.A.
Mr. Wicker, who remains on the committee, did not attend the hearing, leaving uncertain whether the Boeing issue would influence his support for Mr. Bradbury.
Throughout the 90-minute hearing, Mr. Bradbury fielded inquiries on various topics pertaining to aviation and roadway safety. He indicated a willingness to consider raising the retirement age for commercial pilots while expressing caution about mandating specific safety technologies in autonomous vehicles.
Mr. Bradbury highlighted his governmental experience, addressing critiques regarding his involvement in the Boeing investigation and his associations with Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative crafted by the Heritage Foundation, where he is currently employed. He was mentioned as a contributor to certain sections related to transportation.
Committee members—both Democrats and Republicans—consistently queried him on whether he would back the termination of a Transportation Department program called the Essential Air Service, which provides subsidies to about 170 small airports nationwide that struggle to maintain operations independently. According to Project 2025, “ending the program would allow hundreds of pilots to serve larger markets with more passengers.”
Mr. Bradbury stated that he had not directly addressed the Essential Air Service in the report but acknowledged its importance and affirmed that the agency should continue to support it.
The subject of the Boeing investigation continues to be a delicate point for the families of the victims of the Max crashes.
Several of the affected families sent a letter to Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, expressing their concerns regarding Mr. Bradbury’s nomination prior to the confirmation hearing.
The letter, authored by Javier de Luis, who lost his sister in one of the crashes and endorsed by members of five other families, stated, “we believe that when it comes to safety, transparency and honesty are imperative not only with Congress but also with the flying public. We seek that commitment from him.”
Besides the two Boeing 737 Max crashes—Lion Air flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in 2019—that resulted in the deaths of 346 individuals, there was also an incident last year where a panel detached from a Boeing aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines.
The agency’s current leader, Sean Duffy, has vowed to hold Boeing accountable and to rebuild public confidence.
A vote regarding Mr. Bradbury’s nomination has yet to be scheduled.
Kitty Bennett contributed research.