Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach told Newsmax on Friday that he sent a letter to the Biden administration in 2021 due to concerns that it was using diversity, equality and inclusion practices to hire air traffic controllers.
"This has an effect," Kobach said on "Wake Up America." "By 2023, the FAA reported that there were 503 lapses … where air traffic controllers made mistakes in that year, and that was a 65% increase."
A New York Times study claimed there were 300 near-misses near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Kobach said.
That "is double what it was a decade ago," Kobach said. "When you prioritize hiring people because of their skin color instead of because of their skill level, you have impacts. Look, if I'm flying, I want my pilot and I want my air traffic controller to be the best possible people out there. I don't care what their skin color is, what their sex is, anything else. I just want competence and merit. And I think most Americans agree because those people have the ability to end your life in a second."
Kobach said the Biden administration never responded to his letter. He praised the Trump administration's executive orders ending DEI practices at the Federal Aviation Administration.
"It's got to be the best possible people, the most intelligent, competent people, not based on someone's skin color," Kobach said.
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Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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