With help from Tanya Snyder, Kayla Guo and Oriana Pawlyk
— Key congressional playersfor the upcoming FAA reauthorization bill have yet to be decided.
— The House could pass legislation to study NOTAM issuesthis week.
— Ron Klain, a prolific tweeter of gas prices, departs as President Joe Biden’s chief of staff.
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ROSTER SHUFFLING: We’re nearly a month into the 118th Congress, but the major players who will shape this year’s FAA reauthorization bill aren’t all in place. The Senate side is a bit more settled, as Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and likely ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will undoubtedly play a major role.
Senate watch: But beneath those two, the roster gets a bit murky on the GOP side. Cruz was the top Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee, but he now is poised to take the ranking-member job after Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) takes the top GOP spot on Armed Services. Former committee Chair John Thune(R-S.D.) was on the aviation panel last Congress but was also elected as GOP whip. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) is next on the seniority list among Aviation Subcommittee members from the last Congress who are still in office. Democrats are keeping Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona in the top position on the aviation panel despite her becoming an independent in December, while the rest of the Democrats who served on the subcommittee in the 117th Congress remain in office.
House watch: The House side is a different story. We know that Sam Graves (R-Mo.) will serve as T&I Committee chair, and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) will be the ranking member, but the Aviation Subcommittee roles will see at least some change. Larsen’s previous role as top Democrat is currently vacant, though the party is expected to finalize subcommittee assignments in the next week. And while Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) expects to resume his role as the top Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee, he’s also weighing a bid for Louisiana governor (a race that is decided later this year, not next), and a run for higher office figures to seriously complicate any in-the-weeds policy work in Washington. Despite rumors in Louisiana that Graves would announce a gubernatorial run last week, he remained uncommitted.
OUTAGE RESPONSE: The House this week could vote on a bill, H.R. 346 (118), from Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) that would create an FAA task force to improve the Notice to Air Mission system that failed two weeks ago, grounding flights across the country for the first time since 9/11. Stauber’s bill, which has received bipartisan support, passed the House in the previous two congresses without significant opposition in 2019 and 2021. While the bill doesn’t force the FAA to make changes, it would be the first legislation in response to the nationwide outage earlier this month.
Stauber said his bill would help “figure out how to make the NOTAM system work better for pilots and passengers alike” and would “ensure greater oversight” of the FAA.
2024 IS COMING: Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is expected to formally launch a Senate run against Sinema as soon as today, Burgess Everett and Elena Schneider report, setting up the possibility of an election fight in the midst of the FAA reauthorization bill. Gallego has been hinting at a run for months amid progressive frustration with Sinema, who left the Democratic Party late last year but still essentially caucuses with Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Sinema will keep her committee assignments. One potential primary opponent, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) announced late last week he wouldn’t primary Sinema, opening up a pathway in the Democratic primary for Gallego. The expected announcement sets up a likely three-way race for a crucial Senate seat in 2024, though Sinema has yet to formally announce a reelection bid.
DEMS BREATHE: Sen. Tim Kaine(D-Va.) gave Senate Democrats a boost after announcing a 2024 reelection bid on Friday amid speculation that he could retire, Marianne LeVine reports. While Democrats have held Virginia’s two Senate seats for more than a decade, an open seat would have been a pickup opportunity for Republicans after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 statewide victory. Two other Senate Democrats with transportation leadership roles worth watching in the coming months are EPW Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) and EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.). While both senators are from Democratic-leaning states, neither has said if he plans to run for reelection in 2024.
TWEETER IN CHIEF: Ron Klain, the longest-serving first chief of staff for any Democratic president, is leaving his role, Eli Stokols and Jonathan Lemire report. Klain was a frequent tweeter on issues like gas prices throughout the last year, defending the administration’s approach to raid the Strategic Petroleum Reserve amid record gas prices (a strategy that appears to have largely paid off). Biden is expected to name Jeff Zients as his next chief of staff, Eugene Daniels, Adam Cancryn and Eli Stokols report. Zients, a longtime Biden confidant, ran the White House’s Covid response, though he is more likely to manage the day-to-day workings of the White House instead of focusing on Biden’s likely reelection campaign.
JERSEY CALLING: Former T&I Committee member Albio Sires (D-N.J.) left Congress after eight terms, but the Cuban-American lawmaker isn’t calling it quits on his political career, Madison Fernandez reports. Sires left a deep blue district to run for mayor of West New York, a town of about 53,000 that’s far smaller than his former district. In an interview, Sires said, “I love the local stuff,” when asked why he chose to take a step down the political ladder.
“I can go out on the street, people say, ‘Hey, Albio, how’re you doing? You fixed the pothole? You rebuild the parks?’ … In Congress, you don’t see that. In Congress, you’re constantly fighting,” Sires said.
— “Railroad’s plan to test idea to cut train crews put on hold.” The Associated Press.
— “Beagle finds plants that definitely weren’t tulips in family’s baggage at BWI airport, officials say.” The Washington Post.
— “In Omaha, a streetcar named undesirable by Warren Buffet.” The New York Times.
— “Obnoxiously loud car? A traffic camera might be listening.” The Associated Press.
— “The days of ‘fun flying’ are long gone: How U.S. air travel became a nightmare.” NBC News.
— “Laid-off tech workers are just what the auto industry needs.” Bloomberg.
