The leaders of the Senate and House armed services committees are standing by an aviation safety measure in the must-pass defense authorization legislation despite scathing criticism from the National Transportation Safety Board and congressional colleagues that it would allow unacceptable safety risks to the public.
The measure passed by the House Wednesday would require safety technology in military aircraft operating in the Washington area to prevent future collisions like the January incident between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet that killed 67 people.
But military leadership could exempt flights to protect national security with the consent of the Department ...