Dem presses Transportation nominee to drop FAA’s ban on in-flight electronics

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) on Thursday pressed President Obama’s Transportation Secretary nominee Anthony Foxx to loosen the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) in-flight prohibition on electronic devices. 

{mosads}During a meeting with Foxx, McCaskill restated her case for allowing the use of cell phones and e-readers during flights.

McCaskill has pushed the FAA to drop its ban, arguing there are no safety risks to using the devices on planes. McCaskill is not advocating that cell phones be used to place calls while in flight, but that passengers be allowed to use them for other functions. 

The FAA currently prohibits the use of any device that has an on/off switch when airplanes are at altitudes below 10,000 feet. 

The senator’s office said McCaskill will raise the issue again during Foxx’s upcoming confirmation hearings. 

The Missouri senator is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which will soon hold an initial confirmation hearing on Foxx’s nomination.

A spokesman for McCaskill told reporters on Thursday that the Missouri senator and Foxx also discussed issues involving road and transit funding.

The FAA is overseen by the Department of Transportation. Obama last week nominated Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., to take over from outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.