President Joe Biden's administration has long touted its commitment to diversity, with Fox News reporting last year that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking to hire people with "severe intellectual" disabilities.

However, a group of Republican attorneys general recently warned that the administration's diversity goal will end up getting people killed. 

AGs say FAA puts "virtue-signaling 'diversity' efforts over aviation expertise"

According to Fox News, that warning came in the form of a letter sent this week to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach along with 10 of his counterparts from other states.

The attorneys general say they "are troubled by some recent reports regarding your agency’s hiring practices and priorities."

It's outrageous that at Biden's FAA passenger safety takes a back seat to diversity. #ksleg https://t.co/fF7lWDOAJR

— Kansas AG's Office (@KSAGOffice) February 21, 2024

It went on to accuse the FAA of putting "virtue-signaling 'diversity' efforts over aviation expertise" and "this calls into question the agency’s commitment to safety."

Employees forced to undergo racial sensitivity training

"It seems that the FAA has placed 'diversity' bean counting over safety and expertise, and we worry that such misordered priorities could be catastrophic for American travelers," the letter stated.

Kobach and his fellow attorney generals next pointed to the FAA's "five year strategic plan" to "diversify its workforce by rethinking its hiring practices."

The letter also highlighted a "Year of Inclusion" symposium in which FAA employees were forced to undergo racial sensitivity training.

While former President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned such training, that order was rescinded shortly after he left office.

Administration told to "hire based on merit"

As the letter drew to a close, it demanded that the FAA immediately "return to prioritizing safety over diversity and virtue signaling."

The correspondence concluded by insisting that the administration "should once again hire based on merit so that only the most qualified aviation experts take care of America’s air travel."

For his part, Kobach reiterated his thoughts in a statement to Fox News, saying, "Given the recent FAA failure that delayed thousands of flights last January and the recent spike in near aircraft collisions, I am very worried that the FAA has lost sight of its primary goal — ensuring the safety of American skies."