Washington (USA), Nov. 14 (LaPresse) – On Friday evening, US Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Markwayne Mullin, together with Secretary of Transportation (DOT) Sean Duffy, held a press briefing at the White House following the nationwide grounding of all flights, caused by a temporary telecommunications outage. “I will never stop repeating this: your loved ones are safe. We are working to resolve the problem and expect to restore normal operations as soon as possible,” Secretary Mullin said. “We have found no evidence to suggest a cyberattack or hostile action. This is a national security risk because our air traffic control system is outdated and has never been a priority for Congress. This is what happens when Congress keeps putting problems off.” During the press conference, Secretaries Mullin and Duffy stressed how essential it is, for national security, to upgrade and modernise the US air traffic control system, urging Congress to take action. “This is precisely,” Mullin added, “the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security. This is why we were established: to ensure continuity of government operations by bringing together all the resources needed in an emergency like this… This is a national emergency. We have mobilised all our resources: from DOW to CISA, through all our National Operations Centers (NOCs) and the other components under the Department. The NSA is also working with us.” “This is,” he continued, “a national security risk… The President has declared a national emergency, and Congress must now step in and allocate the funds. Building this system is vitally important. The President has said so, as has Secretary Duffy on several occasions: our air traffic control system is outdated and has not been a priority for Congress.” “No one,” Mullin nevertheless pointed out, “was placed in danger, thanks to the procedures we had in place. When the system went down, we responded exactly as we had been trained to do, and everyone worked together. President Trump immediately summoned the officials to his office; we were in constant communication. Secretary Duffy and the FAA promptly implemented the measures already in place to ensure everyone’s safety… This is what President Trump does: he appoints leaders and allows them to exercise their leadership.”
USA: Mullin urges Congress to modernise air traffic control system
Washington (USA), Nov. 14 (LaPresse) – On Friday evening, US Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Markwayne Mullin, together with Secretary of Transportation (DOT) Sean Duffy, held a press briefing at the White House following the nationwide grounding of all flights, caused by a temporary telecommunications outage. “I will never stop repeating this: your loved ones are safe. We are working to resolve the problem and expect to restore normal operations as soon as possible,” Secretary Mullin said. “We have found no evidence to suggest a cyberattack or hostile action. This is a national security risk because our air traffic control system is outdated and has never been a priority for Congress. This is what happens when Congress keeps putting problems off.” During the press conference, Secretaries Mullin and Duffy stressed how essential it is, for national security, to upgrade and modernise the US air traffic control system, urging Congress to take action. “This is precisely,” Mullin added, “the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security. This is why we were established: to ensure continuity of government operations by bringing together all the resources needed in an emergency like this… This is a national emergency. We have mobilised all our resources: from DOW to CISA, through all our National Operations Centers (NOCs) and the other components under the Department. The NSA is also working with us.” “This is,” he continued, “a national security risk… The President has declared a national emergency, and Congress must now step in and allocate the funds. Building this system is vitally important. The President has said so, as has Secretary Duffy on several occasions: our air traffic control system is outdated and has not been a priority for Congress.” “No one,” Mullin nevertheless pointed out, “was placed in danger, thanks to the procedures we had in place. When the system went down, we responded exactly as we had been trained to do, and everyone worked together. President Trump immediately summoned the officials to his office; we were in constant communication. Secretary Duffy and the FAA promptly implemented the measures already in place to ensure everyone’s safety… This is what President Trump does: he appoints leaders and allows them to exercise their leadership.”