Controversial NTSB Nominee DeLeeuw Awaits Senate Approval
DeLeeuw's Nomination, Brown's Removal Have Drawn Ire of Dems; Committee Schedules Dec. 8 Vote on Transportation Officials
Key Takeaways:
- A Senate panel is set to consider President Donald Trump’s nominee John DeLeeuw for a National Transportation Safety Board seat on Dec. 8.
- The nomination comes after Trump removed Vice Chair Alvin Brown in May, a move senior Democrats said violated statutory protections for independent board members.
- The committee also will weigh an NTSB reappointment and nominees for roles at the Federal Maritime Commission and the Transportation Department on Dec. 8.
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President Donald Trump’s choice for a spot on the National Transportation Safety Board is among the nominees expected to be considered this month by a Senate panel.
John DeLeeuw, nominated for a seat on the independent board, is awaiting approval in the Commerce Committee after his confirmation hearing last month. His nomination is scheduled for consideration Dec. 8.
At his Nov. 6 nomination hearing, DeLeeuw pledged to engage with federal lawmakers as well as stakeholders to promote transportation safety initiatives.
“I believe we can continue to improve and enhance safety through partnerships and sharing of best practices across the differing modes of transportation,” he said.
Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is among senior Republicans endorsing the nominee: “DeLeeuw will draw on his extensive aviation safety background to investigate accidents and propose recommendations to prevent future harm.”
DeLeeuw, managing director of safety and efficiency at American Airlines, was nominated in September. He would succeed Alvin Brown if confirmed. Brown was removed from the board by the White House earlier this year. Brown has challenged his removal, and senior Democrats on the committee continue to question the removal’s legality.
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“[O]n May 5, 2025, President Trump terminated [NTSB] Vice Chair Brown,” the senators, led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), wrote Cruz in October. “In doing so, the president provided no justification for this removal, let alone one that would satisfy the for-cause criteria that Congress established when it created the NTSB. … Every senator should be alarmed by this executive branch overreach — the president has removed an independent board member, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, without cause, in violation of the statutory protections that Congress created to prevent this exact situation from occurring.”
On Dec. 8, the committee also will consider Michael Graham for an NTSB reappointment, Robert Harvey to become a commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission and Ryan McCormack to be undersecretary of transportation for policy.
