House Fails to Pass ROTOR Act by One Vote

The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly failed to pass a bipartisan aviation safety bill on Tuesday, falling just one vote short of the required two-thirds majority needed under fast-track procedures. The legislation, known as the ROTOR Act, sought to mandate advanced aircraft tracking technology following a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., last year that claimed 67 lives.

The crash occurred on January 29, 2025, when an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in crowded airspace over the Potomac River. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, or ADS-B, could have provided pilots with nearly a minute's warning to avoid the disaster. The House vote tallied 264 in favor and 133 against, with 26 to 35 members absent, partly due to a major snowstorm that disrupted travel. The bill had passed the Senate unanimously in December after intense negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders.

Sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and top Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ROTOR Act would require nearly all...