A House Transportation Committee staffer is returning to the FAA, even as Rep. Bill Shuster embarks on his latest effort to overhaul air traffic control operations.
Chris Brown, who most recently served as the panel’s oversight counsel and point person for the DOT transition team, will leave the Hill this week to become assistant administrator of government and industry affairs at FAA, according to a farewell email obtained by POLITICO. It’s a familiar role for Brown — he also held the job during the George W. Bush administration.
Brown previously served as staff director for the Aviation subcommittee, and before that was vice president for legislative and regulatory policy at Airlines for America.
Brown’s move to FAA comes as Shuster prepares to hold the first hearing this year to discuss the concept of spinning air traffic control operations away from the FAA and into a nonprofit corporation. The Trump administration has shown support for the broad outlines of Shuster’s proposal, and Brown’s hiring could be read as further buy-in from DOT.
Spokespeople for the committee and DOT didn’t immediately comment.