DOT secretary urges rapid FAA modernization, outlines staffing and procurement steps

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development that the Department of Transportation—annot wait years to modernize the nation's air traffic control system and needs expedited funding and staffing changes to do it.

The department's budget request for fiscal 2026 includes increases for FAA hiring and modernization, but Duffy said the money for a full modernization program is not included in the administration's topline and urged Congress to consider advanced appropriations. "I would like this body to give the DOT and the FAA the money upfront, advanced appropriations," he said, adding he would have FAA provide quarterly updates on timelines and budgets.

Why it matters: Lawmakers repeatedly pressed Duffy about a string of safety and operational problems this year, including the fatal crash over the Potomac and major disruptions at Newark and Reagan National airports. Senators across the aisle urged immediate steps to reduce safety risk while also asking for clear dollar figures and timeframes for modernization.

Most important facts

- Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration's fiscal 2026 request would increase discretionary DOT funding to push modernization, but that the specific funding vehicle for a full FAA modernization is not in the budget and should be provided up front.

- Duffy said the FAA is roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers short and described several actions to address the pipeline: prioritizing highest-scoring applicants into the FAA Academy, accelerating medical processing, adding counseling and tutoring to reduce the academy—5% washout rate, and offering experienced controllers a 20% retention bonus.

- Duffy also described technical fixes and contingency steps: using 3D printing for legacy parts, consolidating multiple grants-tracking systems into a single dashboard, and seeking permitting reforms if fiber and other telecom work must be done rapidly.

What was said and by whom

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R), chair of the subcommittee, opened the hearing by noting the committee's bipartisan history and the urgency of air-safety work. "Secretary Duffy, thank you for being here today to testify on the budget request from the Department of Transportation," she said.

Duffy summarized the administration approach and progress since he took office: "Our department has already saved taxpayers more than $9,500,000,000 in the president's first 100 plus days," and he described the need to replace decades-old equipment. "I want to build a system that's like the iPhone that we can continue to build upon as new technology becomes available," he said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R) asked specifically about emergency funding to cover the full cost of a comprehensive modernization. "Will you work with the committee on the concept of having emergency funding that would cover the entire cost of this much needed replacement?" she asked. Duffy replied that he would welcome advanced appropriations and offer quarterly updates on progress.

Sen. Patty Murray (D) said recent staffing reductions and procedural changes risked slowing modernization work and cited the department's pace on grants and personnel. "You are causing a traffic jam from freezing funding for projects to creating new hurdles by reevaluating grants that had already been approved," she said.

Operational and workforce steps

Duffy described pipeline changes to speed hiring: prioritizing top test scorers, reducing medical processing time by paying for quicker medical evaluations, and expanding academy throughput. He also said the FAA has a roughly 35% washout rate at the academy and that reducing it to about 25% through tutoring and counseling could materially increase graduation numbers.

On retention, Duffy said the department is offering a 20% bonus to experienced controllers to delay retirement and keep experienced staff on the job while the pipeline grows.

Technical modernization and procurement

Duffy repeatedly contrasted current legacy systems with modern alternatives and urged that some projects—specially telecom upgrades such as replacing copper with fiber—ould be sped up if Congress provided funds earlier and if permitting processes were streamlined. He warned that a multi-year, piecemeal approach had previously failed to deliver nationwide modernization.

Quotes from the record

- "I want to build a system that's like the iPhone that we can continue to build upon as new technology becomes available," Secretary Sean Duffy.

- "Will you work with the committee on the concept of having emergency funding that would cover the entire cost of this much needed replacement?" Sen. Susan Collins.

- "You are causing a traffic jam from freezing funding for projects to creating new hurdles by reevaluating grants that had already been approved," Sen. Patty Murray.

Outstanding details and next steps

Duffy said the full funding vehicle for a complete FAA modernization "is not in this budget" and urged Congress to consider providing the funds up front; several senators requested specific dollar estimates and timeframes and asked DOT to deliver written details for the committee. Duffy said he would provide additional materials and quarterly briefings if Congress endorsed the advanced-appropriations approach.

Ending note

Lawmakers from both parties expressed support for faster modernization and more FAA staffing but pressed for precise costs, schedules and assurances that changes in grant administration would not create operational gaps. The subcommittee gave DOT seven days to accept additional written questions for the record and asked for responses within 30 days.