Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington, President Biden's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has withdrawn his nomination amid Republican opposition.

Driving the news: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called Washington an "excellent nominee" and condemned the "undeserved" partisan attacks against him in a tweet confirming the news Saturday night.

• "I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service," Buttigieg added.

State of play: Last week a scheduled Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee confirmation vote was scuttled after after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) raised last-minute questions about the nominee, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.

• Republicans have repeatedly called Washington "unqualified,'' claiming he lacks specific aviation experience.
• Reuters first reported the news that Washington had withdrawn his nomination.

The big picture: The FAA has been without a permanent leader since March 2022.

• The agency has faced a series of challenges in recent months, including spates of flight cancellations and delays that have frustrated travelers, as well as several narrowly averted catastrophes.
• This is the second time this month that a nominee has failed to advance out of the Commerce Committee, after Gigi Sohn withdrew her name for an open seat on the Federal Communications Commission.