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:

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has successfully retained its staff, currently at 427 employees, despite broader federal workforce downsizing efforts and hiring freezes.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy testified that the agency secured specific hiring and program exemptions from the administration, allowing them to maintain their workforce, including critical investigative and technical staff.
The agency manages a significant workload of nearly 1,250 active accident investigations and is seeking increased funding to reach its target staffing level of 485-500 employees.
Unlike some other federal agencies, such as parts of the Department of Transportation, the NTSB has not experienced workforce reductions due to recent government efficiency initiatives.

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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.