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Senator Maria Cantwell and a handful of other lawmakers sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration today scolding them for deciding to close 149 contract control towers across the country and asking them to reconsider.

The closures are part of national budget cuts known as sequestration, and we told you last week how they could affect Spokane's Felts Field. Four other Washington towers would also be affected: Renton Municipal Airport, Tacoma Narrows Airport, Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field and Olympia Regional Airport.

Here's the full letter:

A hearing on aviation safety is scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. There, an FAA administer is expected to testify on the effects of sequestration on the agency and its safety efforts.