I don't know, maybe. Maybe not if they're getting ideas for a new ATC system not applicable to day to day operations of the existing one, which is more like what the tweet sounded like. But I really don't know the inner workings of any of that so it would only be speculation. I'm sure there's lots they could be doing better.

What I wrote stands though, the article seems poorly sourced and incorrect about its interpretation of the tweet.

> "Maybe those jobs were important."

It's been reported that 400 new hires on probationary status were let go. None of them were involved in safety related operations. The FAA has around 45,000 total employees, so it's a rather tiny percentage, in any case.