WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Federal Aviation Administration’s acting leader faced lawmakers on Wednesday as they debate how to fund the agency as it navigates the fallout from a deadly crash earlier this year and tries to overhaul outdated air traffic control systems and address a longstanding staffing shortage in towers at airports across the country.

The FAA and Department of Transportation are under heavy scrutiny from Congress and the millions of travelers who fly in the U.S. on a daily basis after the January crash near Washington’s Reagan National Airport and a running series of issues with near-misses on runways. An ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers and concerns about the consequences of them working long hours has also drawn attention and new urgency to alleviate the issu

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