Schumer Fears New FAA Administrator Will Not Prioritize Airline Safety

New York's senior U.S. senator believes the new leader of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will not "put the safety of airline passengers above protecting airlines' profits." Charles Schumer opposed President Donald Trump's nominee of Bryan Bedford, who was confirmed Wednesday in a 53-43 vote. Schumer says Bedford has shown a "callous disregard" for airline safety protocols such as the 1,500-hour flight training rule, which he worked to establish following the deadly crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Western New York in 2009...

Charles Schumer: confirming him would be insulting to Flight 3407 families

During the confirmation process, Bedford stated, "There won't be safety loopholes. I commit to you. We will never do anything to reduce the safety and competency of our pilots." Bedford, who previously served as CEO of Republic Airways, retired from the position last week after leading the airline for more than 25 years.

Information from ABC News was used in this story.