Face the Facts: The latest on the Congressional investigation into Boeing

As some members of his own party call on President Biden to reconsider his reelection bid, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is supporting Biden. Blumenthal says he’s recently spent time with the president and believes he is fit to continue. Blumenthal also updates us on the Congressional investigation into Boeing.

Mike Hydeck: The pressure is mounting on President Biden to prove he is up to the task of being the leader of the free world for four more years. Members of his own party are even saying, some of them, it's time for a change at the top of the Democratic ticket. Will that happen? And should it? Senator Richard Blumenthal is here to give us his opinion. Senator, welcome back. Good to see you.

Richard Blumenthal: Great to see you.

Mike Hydeck: Thanks for joining us. So first up is President Biden, in your mind, fit for office?

Richard Blumenthal: He is fit for office, and I believe that he, at present, intends to run. He said he's going to run. And you know, I was quite honestly surprised by his debate performance. I had been with him just about three weeks earlier in Normandy, where he was incisive and insightful, eloquent in the remarks that he gave, and then I was with him several times afterward. He was strong and sharp, and that was not the Joe Biden I saw during that debate performance. So I think if he demonstrates strength, stamina and sharpness, as I hope certainly he will, he will be the candidate of the Democratic Party.

Mike Hydeck: So former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who herself stepped down from her leadership position not long ago, said, 'Look, this is a fair question to ask. Was this just an episode, or is this evidence of decline?' Is that a fair question to ask?

Richard Blumenthal: I think the American people are going to be asking this question. How is Trump different from Biden? And look at the next four years, not just an hour and a half of debate performance. Part of that question involves his physical stamina, as it does for Donald Trump, but it also involves the question, who's working for you? Who's fighting for the American people in protecting a woman's reproductive rights or cutting inflation or stopping the insurrectionists who once again might storm the Capitol. Donald Trump is extolling those insurrectionists and refusing to say he'll accept the results of the election and seemingly absolutely against protecting a woman's right to choose. And I think the American people are going to choose a president like Joe Biden, who has a record of accomplishment in working and fighting for people, not only on women's reproductive rights, but also providing more jobs, cutting inflation, making life better.

Mike Hydeck: Now, as we know, we're taping this on Friday. President Biden has a few big hurdles over the next few days to try to continue to prove to the American people that he's up to the job. Let's switch topics. You're also leading an investigation on Boeing. The culture there. Whistleblowers say the airplane maker cuts corners. Safety has been compromised for years now, not just recently, not just in the last the blowout of the Alaska Airlines jet. The CEO appeared before your committee recently, admitting the company retaliated against those whistleblowers. Are any things changing at Boeing? And how do you know that, if they are?

Richard Blumenthal: That's the key question, and that's what we are going to find out in our investigation, which is continuing. We'll have more hearings. We're hearing from more whistleblowers, and the point that you raise is absolutely the critical one. The culture of cover up, which involved retaliation against the whistleblowers who reported that quality and safety were compromised because Boeing was putting profits over the safety and quality of its aircraft, and a once great engineering company seemingly lost its way. I want Boeing to succeed. Boeing should succeed. It must succeed.

Mike Hydeck: It's one of the biggest and only airplane makers in the world, and it's central to part of our economy.

Richard Blumenthal: And it is American, with American jobs, and it can come back, and I hope that it will. Even if there's a plea agreement with the Justice Department, a change in management, leadership is necessary to encourage people to have constructive criticism and fight retaliation. And I think the goal has to be to put product safety and quality over the next earning report or stock price over profits. I thought a very revealing moment was when Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, acknowledged he made $33 million last year, $33 million bucks for a company that is losing money.

Mike Hydeck: Yeah. Another question on Boeing, critics say, and this is something I think your committee can address, but you tell me, that the federal regulators are too cozy with Boeing. Boeing, check your own airplanes. Is that true? And how do you change that? That seems to be where safety is exactly where it needs to be examined.

Richard Blumenthal: I've been very critical of the FAA, and one reason is that they have failed to keep sufficient oversight on Boeing. They have failed to be attentive enough. They've failed to protect whistleblowers, and we've changed the FAA's culture so that it is now on our side, not Boeing's side, but we need to continue to encourage, and, in fact, pressure the FAA to do its job. Because ultimately, it is responsible for the safety of people.

Mike Hydeck: Do they have enough investigators.? Are the investigators doing their job? Where's the check and balance there? How do we check that as the American public?

Richard Blumenthal: And does Boeing have any quality inspection? You know, one of the whistleblowers came to us, and they said, Boeing is using nonconforming parts, which is defective, dangerous parts, and the quality inspection is being done by the mechanic sitting next to the guy who's doing the work, rather than an independent quality inspector. So the FAA has to be the, in effect, the oversight here.

Mike Hydeck: Is that changing. Can you see that changing?

Richard Blumenthal: It is changing under new leadership at the FAA, which we insisted there be. But our report and our investigation, I think, will be very revealing and relevant. And for the sake of people who are flying this weekend, this very weekend, July 4 weekend, we need to make sure there is no margin of error. When you're up in the air and panel blows off the airplane, as it did before, only great luck and the grace of God will protect you against a disaster.

Mike Hydeck: Senator, we've got to leave it there. Senator Richard Blumenthal, thanks for your time this morning.

Richard Blumenthal: Thank you.