CNN
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President Joe Biden’s embattled pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration is participating in his confirmation hearing before Congress on Wednesday morning amid a series of challenges for the agency.
Phil Washington, whose nomination was first announced by Biden nearly eight months ago, is appearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He has so far been grilled during the hearing by Republican senators on issues that have emerged since he was nominated last summer, pressing him on why he’s qualified to lead an agency that urgently needs to address a slew of complex challenges.
In his opening remarks, Washington said that if confirmed he pledged to “work diligently to support the extraordinary team at the FAA.” He also defended his qualifications, particularly with regards to safety.
“As a military veteran and leader…
