House Passes ALERT Act in Rare Show of Bipartisan Unity

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Why It Matters

The ALERT Act floor vote on April 16, 2026, produced one of the more striking displays of bipartisan agreement this Congress has seen, 396 to 10, as the House passed H.R. 7613, the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026. It now goes to a Senate that has already staked out its own position.

The bill is Congress's direct response to the January 29, 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River, a crash that killed 67 people and exposed long-standing vulnerabilities in the national airspace system. The ALERT Act implements all 50 safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board following its investigation into that collision.

The legislation mandates ADS-B In (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) and collision prevention technology on virtually all aircraft, sets hard deadlines for FAA and Department of Transportation action, establishes time-on-position limits and enhanced training requirements for air traffic controllers, and requires the Department of Defense to adopt ADS-B Out as the default practice for rotary aircraft operating in the national airspace system.

For the flying public, the bill represents the most comprehensive overhaul of aviation safety requirements in years. It addresses both the civilian and military sides of the airspace equation.

The Big Picture

The ALERT Act was Introduced on February 20, 2026, by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO-6) with 87 bipartisan cosponsors, the bill moved through dual markups at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Armed Services Committee on March 26, 2026. Both committees approved the legislation, setting up the floor vote.

The path was smoother than most major legislation, but not without friction. The most contentious debate centered on Section 105, the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act provision, which restricts the use of ADS-B data for revenue collection purposes, including airport landing fee invoicing.

Yes, but: Airport interests pushed back hard. Christina Sharkey, testifying at the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup, argued that Section 105 "would limit our airports' ability to manage their operations and maintain safe, critical safety infrastructure" and that federal law already requires airports to be financially self-sustaining. An amendment to strike Section 105 failed 27 to 36, with Republicans holding the line.

The ALERT Act also arrives in the shadow of the ROTOR Act, which passed the Senate unanimously and has become the focal point of the bicameral tension now defining the bill's path forward.

Partisan Perspectives

The vote drew vocal support and pointed criticism from both sides of the Capitol.

Defenders:

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX-22), Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, called it proof of action: "Congress is listening and taking action to make our skies safer."

Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS-3), a bill co-introducer who lost Kansas constituents in the Potomac crash, said the bill "reflects their voices and has earned strong support from aviation safety experts."

Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4) framed the vote in moral terms: "This bill is about responsibility to the flying public, to the aviation workforce, and to the families."

Critics:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a direct warning to House colleagues on the day of the vote: "The ALERT Act would not deliver the safety measures necessary to prevent another midair collision." Cruz has championed the ROTOR Act, which he argues closes the ADS-B In technology gap the ALERT Act leaves open.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) was more measured: "It does not include a critical NTSB recommendation: requiring ADS-B In for all aircraft in high-volume airspace."

Notable defections: Nine Republicans voted against the bill, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10), and Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), representing the bill's most conservative critics. On the Democratic side, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) was the sole "No" vote.

The Trump administration has not issued a formal Statement of Administration Policy on the bill, and no veto threat has been reported. With 196 House Republicans voting yes, the absence of White House opposition has been notable.

Political Stakes

For House Republicans, the vote is a legislative win on a high-visibility safety issue and a signal that the majority can move bipartisan legislation when the political incentive is strong enough. Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS-1) called it "the most comprehensive reform to aviation safety in years."

For the Senate, the calculus is more complicated. The ROTOR Act, which passed that chamber unanimously, sets a higher bar on ADS-B In requirements than the House bill. As PBS NewsHour noted, "lawmakers will now have to try to find a compromise that will satisfy the Senate." The families of the 67 victims, many of whom have been closely engaged in the legislative process, are watching that negotiation closely.

The losers in the short term are the airport operators who failed to strip Section 105 from the bill, and potentially the pilots and aviation advocates who wanted stronger, unambiguous ADS-B In mandates. It's a concern that Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC) raised directly at markup, citing "a deeply concerning number of

Worth Noting

Several members central to the ALERT Act's passage received contributions from aviation and defense industry PACs with direct stakes in the legislation.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO-6), the bill's sponsor and Transportation Committee Chairman, received contributions from both the Northrop Grumman PAC ($7,500) and the Lockheed Martin PAC ($1,000), both of which have lobbied on aviation safety and defense matters. Boeing, which filed lobbying disclosures totaling more than $75 million across related aviation issues, contributed to multiple members on both sides of the aisle who voted yes on the bill.

Southwest Airlines, which spent more than $2.3 million lobbying on aviation matters, made a small direct PAC contribution of $672 to Rep. Graves. American Airlines reported more than $200,000 in lobbying activity on aviation safety legislation during the relevant period.

None of the contribution data establishes any connection between the contributions and specific votes. The figures are drawn from publicly available FEC and lobbying disclosure filings.

The Bottom Line

The House passage of the ALERT Act is a meaningful step, but not the finish line. The Senate's unanimous passage of the competing ROTOR Act means a conference process or negotiated compromise lies ahead, and the specific technical question of ADS-B requirements will define that fight.

The bill also reflects a broader congressional pattern in the 119th Congress: legislation driven by acute public tragedy, moving with unusual speed and bipartisan energy, but still running into the structural friction between chambers that slows even the most widely supported measures. The ALERT Act floor vote lesecdemonstrates that Congress can coalesce.Whet- er it can resolve the details is another matter.around aviation safety in principle.

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