A White House statement warns that during an increasingly likely shutdown, more than 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Officers—in addition to thousands of other Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel—would have to show up to do their critical jobs without getting paid until funding becomes available.
In previous shutdowns, this led to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country. Additionally, the shutdown would halt air traffic controller training—potentially leading to long-term disruptions to the industry at a moment when we’ve seen critical progress filling a backlog of controllers.
“House Republicans have turned their backs on the bipartisan budget deal that two-third of them voted for just a few months ago and instead proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that proposes devastating cuts to programs that millions of hardworking Americans count on—including rail safety inspections and the Transportation Security Administration,” the statement says. “Their extreme CR also fails to provide the urgent funding President Biden requested to avoid disruptions to FAA air traffic operations.”
