Disgraced Babbitt resigns

Babbitt

   A drunk-driving mistake during the weekend cost Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt his job Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood accepted Babbitt’s resignation following Monday’s disclosure that Babbitt had been arrested Saturday by police in a local Virginia jurisdiction.
   In a statement issued by the FAA, Babbitt said he stepped down so that focus on his transgression wouldn’t overshadow “the outstanding work done 24 hours a day, seven days a week by my colleagues at the FAA.”
   “As FAA Administrator, Randy Babbitt has been a dedicated public servant and outstanding leader. I’m proud to say that we have the safest aviation system in the world, and thanks to Randy’s stewardship, it became safer and stronger,” LaHood said in a separate statement.
   “He worked tirelessly to improve relations with the labor community and bolstered employee engagement among his 49,000 colleagues at the FAA. He led the FAA’s efforts to improve pilot training and enhance safety for the traveling public, as well as those that work in aviation. On behalf of the American people, I thank him for his service and his leadership.”
   Babbitt was suspend on Monday after LaHood learned about the arrest. Babbitt’s departure was considered likely considering that LaHood has made safety and distracted driving key themes of his administration.
   Since taking office Babbitt, a former pilot, has worked to obtain a long-term funding extension for the FAA and to implement the NextGen air traffic control system. The FAA has been without a multi-year spending blueprint for four years.
   Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta will run the FAA on an acting basis.