Buttigieg praised Washington's transportation and military experience, stating that he was an excellent nominee for the role. He also expressed disappointment at what he calls partisan attacks and procedural obstruction that Washington had faced, but respected his decision to withdraw and thanked him for his service.
Republicans had voiced concerns over Washington's limited aviation experience, given that he had served as the CEO of Denver International Airport for less than two years.
Although Washington had run transit agencies in Denver and Los Angeles, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) argued that the FAA needed an administrator with extensive aviation experience, who could earn bipartisan support in the Senate and keep the flying public safe.
"Given the significant challenges facing the FAA, this wasn’t the time for an administrator who needed on-the-job training," said Cruz.
However, even some Democrats were uncertain about Washington's confirmation. Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mon.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), a former Democrat, did not indicate how they would vote.
The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator for two years. Billy Nolen, a pilot who has held safety jobs at three airlines and the FAA, is serving as its acting administrator.
12 January 2023, 01:49 GMT
Washington's withdrawal comes at a time when federal transportation officials have come under scrutiny over a string of close calls between passenger jets this year. Seven such incidents have been confirmed, and Buttigieg warned that US airports could face more than 20 such incidents in 2023.
At an FAA safety summit earlier this month, Buttigieg suggested that more mistakes than usual were happening across the system, including on runways, at gates while planes were pushing back, in control towers, and on flight decks.