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By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Ed Markey on Monday urged lawmakers to call SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration to testify about air traffic control IT systems.
Musk, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and the owner of satellite company Starlink, has sharply criticized the current FAA telecom system amid reports that Starlink could interfere or take over a $2.4 billion telecommunications FAA contract with rival Verizon.
"The Commerce Committee has a responsibility to immediately hold a public hearing to investigate Musk’s claims on behalf of the American public," Markey said.
A spokesperson for Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, the FAA and the White House did not immediately comment.
Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, supports Markey's request for a hearing, a spokesperson said.
Democratic Representative Sharice Davids said Monday that "Elon Musk’s reported interference in a competitively awarded FAA contract is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about conflicts of interest."
The FAA in 2023 awarded Verizon a contract worth up to $2.4 billion over 15 years to design, build and operate the FAA’s new next-generation communications platform.
The FAA said it has not made any decision on the contract but sources told Reuters last week the FAA is reviewing the document.
Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Tammy Duckworth on Friday both raised questions about the FAA potentially awarding billions of dollars to private companies controlled by Musk while he serves as a government employee.
Musk on Thursday admitted he falsely accused Verizon of putting U.S. air safety at risk through a communications system that is actually operated by L3Harris.
Verizon, which operates the largest U.S. wireless network, said it is "at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems."
Last week, the FAA said it was testing three Starlink terminals at a government facility in Alaska to address concerns about reliable weather information.
The FAA fired 350 employees last month as part of a DOGE-directed effort to shrink the government, including some safety-related positions.
A DOGE team of SpaceX engineers acting as special government employees visited FAA facilities last month.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Stephen Coates)
