Southwest’s December meltdown was front and center at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Thursday, but there was little sign that members of Congress were in agreement on steps to take to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Southwest’s CEO Bob Jordan did not attend, despite an invite, which itself brought criticism from committee chair Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state.
“Regulatory overreach that egregious would undermine decades of progress in air travel, harming the various consumers that the DOT claims it is trying to protect,” he added. Other Democrats argued there needs to be greater oversight. “We must crack down on carriers who have gotten away with predatory practices that treats passengers like suckers,” said Duckworth. Sen.