Tell Congress: Stop Trump's Cuts to Aviation Safety

America's air traffic system suffered a massive failure Friday, forcing the FAA to ground flights nationwide and leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Now, as investigators scramble to determine what went wrong, Trump wants to slash aviation safety research funding by 43%.

Could this nationwide shutdown have been prevented if America's aging air traffic control systems had already received the upgrades they desperately need?

Federal watchdogs have been sounding the alarm for years. The Government Accountability Office found that 51 of the FAA's 138 air traffic control systems were unsustainable, with another 54 potentially unsustainable. And a September report identified another $10.2 billion needed for the next phase of modernization.

Yet Trump's proposed 2027 budget would slash FAA research, engineering, and development funding from $290 million to just $165 million — cutting resources for work that helps improve air traffic control and aviation safety.

Tell Congress: Reject Trump's proposed aviation safety research cuts, fund critical air traffic control upgrades, and investigate whether aging infrastructure contributed to Friday's nationwide shutdown.

We don't yet know what caused Friday's shutdown — or whether better-funded infrastructure could have prevented it. But America shouldn't have to suffer another nationwide aviation breakdown before Congress addresses the vulnerabilities we already know exist.

Air traffic controllers rely on functioning communications equipment to guide thousands of planes safely through American skies every day. When those systems fail, families are stranded, workers miss their jobs, and the reliability of the entire aviation network is thrown into question.

With another federal budget under consideration, our members of Congress have a choice: invest in reliable aviation infrastructure now or leave critical vulnerabilities unresolved. Passenger safety shouldn't depend on outdated equipment and unfinished upgrades.

Add your name: Demand that Congress put passenger safety ahead of budget cuts and act before another nationwide failure puts America's aviation system to the test.

The petition to Congress reads:

“Reject the Trump administration's proposed cuts to FAA research and development, provide sufficient funding and oversight for critical air traffic control modernization, and investigate whether outdated equipment, inadequate backup systems, or funding shortfalls contributed to the November 13 nationwide ground stop.”