The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a scathing rebuke of a provision tucked away in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is rightfully outraged, calling the measure a "safety whitewash" that threatens to undo critical improvements made after a horrific mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport in January. This collision, which tragically claimed 67 lives, should have been a wake-up call, but it seems some in Congress are hitting the snooze button.

This defense bill, astonishingly, would create exemptions allowing military aircraft to fly with outdated tracking systems, effectively recreating the dangerous conditions that led to the January disaster. The NTSB recommended mandatory use of ADS-B technology for military aircraft after the crash, a step the Pentagon agreed to. Yet, this legislation appears designed to bypass those vital safety enhancements, putting the public at risk for the sake of what appears to be political expediency rather than genuine security needs.

Is this how we honor the memory of those lost? By risking future tragedies? While some lawmakers claim to support aviation safety, the language in the NDAA seems to protect the status quo, allowing military aircraft to operate under different, less safe rules. We deserve accountability and transparency, not legislation that invites history to repeat itself. Are you okay with this?