ATLANTA, GA — “My heart breaks for these victims.”
Georgia U. S. Senator Raphael Warnock says he feels deep sorrow after the deadly DC plane crash--but no fear of flying, as he’s frequently in and out of the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson.
“Let me just say as someone who flies often, several times a week, that our skies are safe. That’s why what we saw yesterday was so shocking and deeply concerning,” says Warnock.
Rev. Warnock says he is praying for the victims and their survivors.
“My prayers go out to those families as they deal with the unthinkable,” he says. “Imagine you’re there to receive your loved one, to pick them up, and you get this news. So we continue to lift them up.”
The senator previously sat on the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, serving on the subcommittee for Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation. As someone representing “an aviation state,” Warnock says he remains committed to air safety.
“I find this deeply concerning,” he says. “You’re talking about the airspace around the nation’s capital. It is airspace that is the safest on the planet.”
At the same time, Warnock warns against fear and speculation.
“Tragically, often we make leaps and bounds on safety when we see these kinds of tragedies,” the senator says. He urges fliers and families to remain calm, and to let investigators do their work.
“But we’ll be pushing to make sure that we get a thorough investigation, Sen. Warnock adds. “It needs to happen in an efficient way, and we need to make sure that this never happens again.”