Several family members who suffered the loss of loved ones in the Boeing 737 MAX8 crash are seeking a meeting with US Senators, including the Senate Majority Leader, prior to Thursday’s confirmation vote for Steven Bradbury as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Transportation (DOT).
Their apprehensions stem from Bradbury’s testimony during a hearing last week, where family members expressed concerns that he had actively worked to obstruct the implementation of a Congressionally mandated Safety Management System for Boeing while serving at the DOT during the initial Trump administration. The establishment of such a safety system could have potentially prevented the two tragic Boeing 737 MAX8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in the loss of 346 lives.
On February 24, 2025, the families reached out to Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate Majority Leader, requesting a meeting to address the issues raised during last Thursday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. They expressed their worry that Bradbury, who held a position at the DOT during the first Trump administration, failed to secure vital information requested by Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) concerning the two Boeing crashes, despite having a legal team of 500 members at his disposal. The families also contacted Senators Wicker, Daniel Sullivan (R-Ala.), Shelley Capito (R-Va.), and Gerald Moran (R-Ks.).
Nadia Milleron of Massachusetts, who tragically lost her daughter Samya Rose Stumo, 24, in the second Boeing crash in Ethiopia, remarked, “Bradbury’s statement to the Senate, ‘We have the safest air system in the world, but we cannot fall down on the job,’ reflects a complete insensitivity to the 84 individuals who have perished in plane crashes across the United States in just the past month.”
Bradbury held various positions within the first Trump administration at the Department of Transportation, including acting deputy secretary, acting secretary, and Senate-confirmed general counsel, where he was responsible for overseeing a team of 500 attorneys and legal personnel. He was appointed as Acting Secretary of Transportation on January 11, following Elaine Chao’s resignation, and Sean Duffy was sworn in as Secretary on January 28.
