Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wouldn’t apologize for the nationwide ground stoppage that caused a cascade of travel disruptions this weekend, repeatedly passing the buck to Congress and past presidential administrations while asking for billions of dollars during a string of interviews on Sunday morning.
Duffy appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox News to discuss Friday’s four-hour halt on flights, which was initiated after the air traffic control system began experiencing “intermittent” communications and radar gaps while parts of the network were being upgraded.
The aviation delay, which was part of the U.S.’s longest ground stoppage in 25 years, led to thousands of canceled flights, stranded passengers and airport chaos that lasted into Sunday.
Asked by NBC News anchor Kristen Welker if he felt like he owed an apology to the American people, Duffy said that while the stoppage “happened on my watch,” he should not be the one to say he’s sorry.
“I can’t apologize for what was passed off to us,” he said, blaming decades of delayed investment while adding he has been “moving at an incredible speed,” working to modernize the U.S. flight infrastructure.
Duffy told Welker fixing the nation’s outdated air traffic control system would take far more than the $12.5 billion of funding Congress approved last year, a plea he repeated during all five of his Sunday morning appearances.
“If you don’t give us the resources, we can’t complete the job,” he said, proposing an additional $50 billion investment.
Though Duffy was willing to take a bit more responsibility for the turbulence caused by the ground stop during his stop by CNN’s “State of the Union,” he still shirked full accountability.
“Of course, I’m the secretary, but I also have to acknowledge what was delivered to me,” he told anchor Dana Bash. “I take responsibility for what was given to me by prior administrations and now I tell you how I’m going to fix it. ... All I need is the money!”