Published on January 30, 2025
This presidential memorandum, triggered by a fatal collision between a commercial aircraft and military helicopter, orders a comprehensive review of FAA hiring practices and safety protocols implemented during the Biden administration. The action explicitly criticizes previous administrations' diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly targeting policies that allegedly prioritized biographical considerations over technical aptitude, and calls for an immediate return to what it terms "merit-based" hiring practices.
The timing and framing of this memorandum appears to exploit a tragic accident to advance a broader political agenda against diversity initiatives, without establishing any direct connection between the accident and hiring practices. The vague language around "qualification standards" and "corrective action" could serve as justification for widespread personnel changes, potentially enabling the administration to purge employees hired under previous diversity initiatives regardless of their actual performance or qualifications. The memorandum's emphasis on reviewing "all hiring decisions" from the previous administration suggests a predetermined conclusion rather than an objective safety assessment.
While the memorandum presents itself as a safety-focused initiative, it appears to be using aviation safety as a pretext for implementing broader ideological changes in federal hiring practices. The public should be aware that while aviation safety is indeed paramount, the connection between diversity initiatives and safety outcomes is not substantiated in the memorandum, and the proposed solutions may have more to do with political objectives than actual safety improvements.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION SUBJECT: Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety On January 29, 2025, a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter horrifically collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. American families today woke up without their loved ones after what should have been a routine trip, and the entire Nation mourns the loss of the victims. This shocking event follows problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Obama Administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude. During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence. But the Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous “diversity equity and inclusion” tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with “severe intellectual” disabilities in the FAA. On my second day in office, I ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring, and promotion, elevating safety and ability as the paramount standard. Yesterday’s devastating accident tragically underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA. Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025 (Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation), I am further ordering the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (Administrator) to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior 4 years, and to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards. This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration. Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025, the Secretary and the Administrator shall take all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior 4 years, instill an unwavering commitment to aviation safety, and ensure that all Americans fly with peace of mind.