Tucker: Compared to Diversity, Your Safety Meant Nothing to the FAA

> Tucker The FAA has ░░░░░░░░ decades been one of ░░░░░░░░ most trusted institutions and ░░░░░░░░ and for good reason ░░░░░░░░ air travel has been ░░░░░░░░ safest in the world ░░░░░░░░ part because of the ░░░░░░░░ s high standards But ░░░░░░░░ the Obama Administration that ░░░░░░░░ to change radically without ░░░░░░░░ paying attention The Obama ░░░░░░░░ pressured the FAA to ░░░░░░░░ abstract diversity goals Nobody ░░░░░░░░ to explain why diversity ░░░░░░░░ a relevant criterion for ░░░░░░░░ traffic controllers No one ░░░░░░░░ explain it now We ░░░░░░░░ the FAA today and ░░░░░░░░ got silence when we ░░░░░░░░ that question which is ░░░░░░░░ most basic question But ░░░░░░░░ didn t matter Starting ░░░░░░░░ 2014 they added a ░░░░░░░░ questionnaire to the application ░░░░░░░░ Applicants with a lower ░░░░░░░░ in science got preference ░░░░░░░░ applicants who had scored ░░░░░░░░ in science Applicants who ░░░░░░░░ been unemployed for the ░░░░░░░░ three years got more ░░░░░░░░ and licensed pilot Scott ░░░░░░░░ other words the FAA ░░░░░░░░ searched for unqualified air ░░░░░░░░ controllers That is insane ░░░░░░░░ they knew it was ░░░░░░░░ when they did it ░░░░░░░░ they did it anyway ░░░░░░░░ we obtained new information ░░░░░░░░ internal email written by ░░░░░░░░ executive at the firm ░░░░░░░░ devised the questionnaire In ░░░░░░░░ email the executive admits ░░░░░░░░ the test he devised ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ the best air traffic ░░░░░░░░ If you want good ░░░░░░░░ traffic controllers find people ░░░░░░░░ experience that was his ░░░░░░░░ The FAA ignored this ░░░░░░░░ used the biographical screen ░░░░░░░░ They didn t care ░░░░░░░░ finding the best air ░░░░░░░░ controllers controllers Compared to ░░░░░░░░ your safety meant nothing ░░░░░░░░ them We reached out ░░░░░░░░ Greg Martin the FAA ░░░░░░░░ top spokesman We wanted ░░░░░░░░ know why the FAA ░░░░░░░░ ever use totally irrelevant ░░░░░░░░ such as what people ░░░░░░░░ like in order to ░░░░░░░░ for a job as ░░░░░░░░ as air traffic control ░░░░░░░░ couldn t get an ░░░░░░░░ We also asked the ░░░░░░░░ FAA administrator Daniel Ewell ░░░░░░░░ come on this show ░░░░░░░░ explain exactly what was ░░░░░░░░ on and why he ░░░░░░░░ too cowardly to appear ░░░░░░░░ previous administration Michael where ░░░░░░░░ the one who originally ░░░░░░░░ off on the policy ░░░░░░░░ s also a coward ░░░░░░░░ we are going to ░░░░░░░░ pushing until we get ░░░░░░░░ answer In the meantime ░░░░░░░░ are joined by former ░░░░░░░░ traffic controller Michael Pearson ░░░░░░░░ is also a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ is suing the FAA ░░░░░░░░ all of this Welcome ░░░░░░░░ to the show Thanks ░░░░░░░░ having me on Tucker ░░░░░░░░ want to be certain ░░░░░░░░ didn t misstate that ░░░░░░░░ biographical screen devised under ░░░░░░░░ Obama Administration for the ░░░░░░░░ I explained was created ░░░░░░░░ a company that admitted ░░░░░░░░ it was not the ░░░░░░░░ way to find the ░░░░░░░░ talented air traffic controllers ░░░░░░░░ the FAA kept it ░░░░░░░░ any way is that ░░░░░░░░ That s correct You ░░░░░░░░ t misstate it You ░░░░░░░░ what occurred To put ░░░░░░░░ story in a nutshell ░░░░░░░░ late 2011 early 2012 ░░░░░░░░ of the national black ░░░░░░░░ association had a meeting ░░░░░░░░ the rainbow push coalition ░░░░░░░░ Jackson and some high ░░░░░░░░ officials part of those ░░░░░░░░ by the way Right ░░░░░░░░ that meeting they put ░░░░░░░░ immediate hold on hiring ░░░░░░░░ stopped hiring They have ░░░░░░░░ it excuses like sequestering ░░░░░░░░ that s not really ░░░░░░░░ happened Basically they shut ░░░░░░░░ the process even though ░░░░░░░░ nation needed air traffic ░░░░░░░░ Lots were retiring The ░░░░░░░░ was needing new trainees ░░░░░░░░ go through the system ░░░░░░░░ it takes time to ░░░░░░░░ through but they did ░░░░░░░░ consciously Then the purge ░░░░░░░░ the 2600 or more ░░░░░░░░ cti students in graduate ░░░░░░░░ across the country including ░░░░░░░░ traditionally black and disadvantaged ░░░░░░░░ were wiped off a ░░░░░░░░ and by the way ░░░░░░░░ list the 2600 folks ░░░░░░░░ a large percentage of ░░░░░░░░ and minority applicants who ░░░░░░░░ have been fantastic air ░░░░░░░░ controllers Tucker People who ░░░░░░░░ going to school for ░░░░░░░░ basically basically Prior military ░░░░░░░░ in the area pilots ░░░░░░░░ of these individuals were ░░░░░░░░ qualified certainly than I ░░░░░░░░ when I started Then ░░░░░░░░ that they designed a ░░░░░░░░ to her speaking about ░░░░░░░░ biographical assessment biographical questionnaire ░░░░░░░░ one is called a ░░░░░░░░ assessment that was made ░░░░░░░░ a different purpose as ░░░░░░░░ stated It wasn t ░░░░░░░░ to be used the ░░░░░░░░ it was actually the ░░░░░░░░ actually notified them of ░░░░░░░░ In effect that test ░░░░░░░░ people with aviation knowledge ░░░░░░░░ air traffic control experience ░░░░░░░░ aviation experience any science ░░░░░░░░ and then they came ░░░░░░░░ and they actually had ░░░░░░░░ individual public relations of ░░░░░░░░ southwest region publish that ░░░░░░░░ was for diversity That ░░░░░░░░ pulled back immediately and ░░░░░░░░ stated it was for ░░░░░░░░ best and brightest candidates ░░░░░░░░ This is so rotten ░░░░░░░░ corrupt I don t ░░░░░░░░ anybody wants to live ░░░░░░░░ a country where you ░░░░░░░░ t trust air traffic ░░░░░░░░ because they are so ░░░░░░░░ ideological that they are ░░░░░░░░ seeking the worst candidates ░░░░░░░░ s insane Very quickly ░░░░░░░░ about all the unions ░░░░░░░░ all the pilots groups ░░░░░░░░ commercial pilots groups What ░░░░░░░░ all the people in ░░░░░░░░ world who knew this ░░░░░░░░ going on why did ░░░░░░░░ say anything about it ░░░░░░░░ think certain groups to ░░░░░░░░ to say something but ░░░░░░░░ frankly there wasn t ░░░░░░░░ press coverage on it ░░░░░░░░ because of other political ░░░░░░░░ it didn t come ░░░░░░░░ the forefront The bigger ░░░░░░░░ is after the students ░░░░░░░░ purged the FAA literally ░░░░░░░░ that there were individuals ░░░░░░░░ in cheating to pass ░░░░░░░░ new biographical assessment so ░░░░░░░░ wiped the students off ░░░░░░░░ list they allowed a ░░░░░░░░ to then engage in ░░░░░░░░ treating gave basically the ░░░░░░░░ the black coalition of ░░░░░░░░ employees the answers to ░░░░░░░░ test That s as ░░░░░░░░ a story as anything ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Unfortunately we are ░░░░░░░░ of time but this ░░░░░░░░ not be the last ░░░░░░░░ we address this This ░░░░░░░░ a threat to the ░░░░░░░░ it s totally wrong ░░░░░░░░ it can only happen ░░░░░░░░ secrecy and we plan ░░░░░░░░ pierce that Thank you ░░░░░░░░ all your help with ░░░░░░░░ I know we will ░░░░░░░░ to again Thank you ░░░░░░░░ goes deep and broad ░░░░░░░░ you very much.