Congressman Jake Ellzey said lawmakers will look at ways to provide funding for adequate staffing in air traffic control towers,
WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Jake Ellzey spent two decades as a military pilot, flying helicopters, F-14s and F/A-18s.
After that, he became a commercial airline pilot and small business owner.
Now serving his second term in Congress, he will lean on that experience as lawmakers look for answers and change after an American Airlines plane collided with a U.S. military helicopter at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
The Republican said when looking to the future, start with the fact that America has the best-trained air traffic control in the world. But we still need more workers.
“I think that there will always be a need for more of them as the skies get more busy,” he told us on Inside Texas Politics. “So, I think we will always look at staffing and finding a way to provide more money to provide an adequate number of staff in towers.”
Congressman Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, points out that Reagan National has always been a busy airport based on its proximity to helicopter travel because of the area’s military bases and rivers.
The investigation into the crash is just beginning and Ellzey said it will take some time to complete.
“There will be procedures that will change with respect to concurrent commercial and helicopter travel at Reagan after this incident,” the lawmaker promised.
We also asked Congressman Ellzey if he believed President Donald Trump’s suggestion, without evidence, that the crash was the result of federal diversity and inclusion hiring standards.
“I think everybody’s upset about this because it shouldn’t have happened, and they want to know why,” Ellzey responded. “And the immediate reactions show the level of emotion that most people have about this issue. So, we’re going to let the investigation play itself out.”
The Congressman from Texas is also proud to be the new co-chair of the “For Country” Caucus, which includes around 40 veterans from the U.S. House of Representatives split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
“All working together to be non-partisan on making sure America is more safe, secure and our veterans are taken care of,” he said.
