GOP Rift Over Air-Safety Bill Shapes House Vote

The House is poised to vote on the Senate-passed ROTOR Act, a major response to last year’s Washington midair collision, but a rift among top Republicans—House Transportation Chair Sam Graves and Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers—complicates the path as Speaker Johnson moves the bill forward. Graves and allies have expressed opposition to the ROTOR Act’s equipment mandates and favor the Graves-Rogers ALERT Act, which would address NTSB recommendations with more input from the House. The Defense Department has raised concerns about budgetary and operational security risks, while victims’ families and aviation groups push for strong safety standards; the outcome will have broad implications for aviation safety tech, military aviation constraints, and party dynamics in Congress.