House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) delivered remarks on the House Floor opposing S.2503, known as the ROTOR Act. The legislation was introduced in response to the 2025 midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Rogers argued that the ROTOR Act presents national security concerns and does not address most of the safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He stated, “The bill before us today is a flawed response to last year’s tragic mid-air collision at Reagan National.”
He highlighted concerns about operational security, referencing a statement from the Department of War: “As currently drafted, enactment of this bill would create significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities.”
Rogers explained that the ROTOR Act would require all aircraft in U.S. airspace, including military aircraft on sensitive missions, to transmit location data using ADS-B systems over unencrypted channels. He noted that since 2018, some military aircraft have been exempt from this requirement through an agreement between the FAA and Pentagon. According to Rogers, “The ROTOR Act overwrites that MOU with an FAA rulemaking. That means that the FAA, not the Pentagon or our military commanders, will have final say on which military aircraft must be equipped with ADS-B and when it must be turned on.”
He continued, “Requiring our fighters, bombers, and highly classified assets to regularly broadcast their location puts our men and women in uniform at risk by exposing operational planning, aircraft details, and patterns of life to our adversaries.”
Rogers acknowledged that certain military aircraft already use ADS-B in congested civilian airspace under current agreements but said the ROTOR Act goes further than necessary.
He also criticized the bill for omitting nearly 90 percent of NTSB’s recommendations. “Over 40 critical air safety recommendations are left out of this bill,” he said. These include improved coordination between military and FAA on safety matters, better safety management systems for military aircraft, and enhanced training for pilots.
Rogers pointed out that he joined other committee leaders—Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA)—to introduce alternative legislation called the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act. This bipartisan proposal aims to address all 50 NTSB recommendations while maintaining national security protections.
“The Department of War is requesting these changes be made before the ROTOR Act is signed into law,” Rogers said. He urged members to oppose S.2503 so that alternative legislation could move forward quickly.
The House Armed Services Committee plays a central role in overseeing national defense programs and agencies according to its official jurisdiction under Rule X of House Rules (source). The committee includes members such as Reps. Joe Wilson, Michael R. Turner, Robert J. Wittman (source), with Rep. Mike Rogers serving as chair during recent Congresses (source). The committee operates as part of congressional oversight for defense matters (source) and has influenced key legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (source).
“I urge all members to oppose the bill,” Rogers concluded.