No DOGE Cuts at NTSB, Chair Says

Jennifer Homendy testifies to a House committee that recent workforce reductions did not impact the agency.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 12:33 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy at a hearing [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

Despite broader federal efforts to downsize the workforce, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has successfully retained its staff, including probationary employees.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy attributed this retention to securing specific hiring and resignation exemptions from the administration and receiving continued support.
The agency currently has 427 employees managing a significant workload of nearly 1,250 active accident investigations and has requested more funding for FY2026 to reach a target staffing level of 485-500 workers.

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Despite a rapid push to downsize the federal workforce, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy on Wednesday testified at a House Appropriations Committee hearing that her agency has retained its staff.

The NTSB currently has 427 employees, said Homendy, who has chaired the safety board since 2021. Its workload includes almost 1,250 active accident investigations in all 50 states, along with Puerto Rico. The agency also supports accident investigations overseas.