Biden's pick to lead FAA withdraws nomination


Phillip Washington, President Biden's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has withdrawn his nomination following lackluster support in the Senate.
Washington decided to pull his name from contention over the weekend, Reuters first reported on Saturday. Currently the CEO of Denver International Airport, Washington was nominated by Biden to be the new FAA administrator after previously serving as the president's transportation transition head. However, he faced significant criticism from Republicans, who argued that "Washington's slim aviation credentials and his potential legal entanglements" precluded him from leading the FAA, CNN reported.
The Biden administration later confirmed that Washington had pulled his nomination, and White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan told The New York Times that "an onslaught of unfounded Republican attacks on Mr. Washington's service and experience irresponsibly delayed this process, threatened unnecessary procedural hurdles on the Senate floor, and ultimately have led him to withdraw his nomination today."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The White House has always maintained that Washington had the proper background to run the embattled FAA, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeting that Washington's "transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee."
"The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service," Buttigieg added.
The Times noted that while Washington has led the Denver Airport since 2021, "much of his career involved ground transport."
Republicans were united in opposition to Washington, but it originally appeared that Democrats would have still had the votes to push him through the Senate confirmation hearing. However, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) called off a scheduled vote on his nomination last week, which NBC News noted is a likely sign that Washington no longer had enough Democratic support to move the nomination out of committee.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Anshu Ahuja's golden coconut and butter bean curry recipe
The Week Recommends Plump, creamy beans in a sweet, spicy sauce
-
The treasure trove of platinum on the moon
Under the radar This kind of bounty could lead to commercial exploitation
-
Sudoku medium: June 23, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
'Is it even possible to enjoy a trip without contributing to the problem?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Qatar's power play
Feature The tiny Arab nation is buying friends and influence in Washington. What does it want?
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county