ICYMI: Congressman Tom Barrett’s Bill Makes Air Travel Safer
22-year U.S. Army veteran Tom Barrett penned an op-ed highlighting his bill that was signed into law by President Trump to improve aviation safety for all Americans.
This critical legislation was introduced following the tragic mid-air collision between a passenger airline and a military helicopter and marks Congressman Barrett’s first bill to become law.
Read the full op-ed from Congressman Tom Barrett here or see excerpts below:
After DC helicopter crash, I got to work and Congress delivered
Washington Examiner
January 9, 2026
In the dark evening hours of Jan. 29, a tragic crash above the Potomac River illuminated serious flaws in aviation safety. Flying remains the safest means of transportation, but the deadly collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter was a sobering reminder that air travel is still vulnerable to fatal mishaps.
I piloted helicopters in the Army, including Black Hawks, such as the one involved in the tragedy. So in my new role as a member of Congress, I took the crash as a personal call to action. Congress is not known for taking timely action, but on the night of the crash, I was already communicating with some of the best pilots I knew to get their insight and advice. Less than a year later, the bill I introduced to start the process of equipping military helicopters with crash avoidance technology has become law. With President Donald Trump’s signature, my bill will not only help make our skies safer, but it will also show that the people’s representatives can work together to address serious matters.
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Military training should not put civilians in harm’s way, so I made it my mission to get TCAS and ADS-B In installed in our military helicopter fleet. While we will never know for certain if either of these technologies would have averted the disaster, adding the systems to our military helicopters can certainly reduce the risk of similar crashes in the future. My bill takes a huge stride toward achieving that goal.
I introduced the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act in March, only five weeks after the crash, then got it added to the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policy and authorizes spending for our armed forces. Trump signed the NDAA into law in December after it passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.
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If we continue the constructive cooperation that got my bill across the finish line, I’m confident we will follow through to protect civilian air travelers, as well as the military pilots and crew flying helicopter missions just like I did.