Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday warned that if the government shutdown persists through the Thanksgiving holiday, it will be “rough” for travelers as air traffic controllers begin to lose morale.
“This morning, they're getting their pay stubs that they're going to get another big fat zero, no paycheck for the second time. They've all told me it's really hard, really hard to navigate a full month of no pay, missing two pay periods,” Duffy said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.”
“So I think you're going to have more significant disruptions in the airspace. And as we come into Thanksgiving, if we're still in the shutdown posture, it's going to be rough out there, really rough,” he added.
Forty airports are reducing flights by 10 percent to account for the dwindling air traffic control staff amid the federal shutdown. Passengers have been forced to deal with corresponding delays or cancellations due to shortages.
However, President Trump said the Federal Aviation Administration, which is in charge of flight operations, is attempting to enact the best policies for travelers.
The president told reporters, “They want to make sure it's safe.”
While representatives in the House have been out for more than a month, senators have been voting repeatedly to reopen the government.
Democrats in the upper chamber refuse to bend unless Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expire later this year, are extended.
Republicans argue the issue should be solved after passing a stopgap funding measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Thursday suggested some progress could be made soon.
“If there's a path forward to vote, whether that's today, tomorrow, Saturday, we'll stay and do that," Thune said, according to CBS. "I think all options are on the table."
He said Senate Democrats have the ball in their court.
"First off, we've got to get the Dems' response to the offer they have in front of them, and then we'll see where they go with that," Thune said. "I think it's all going to be subject to whether there's a path to wind this down this weekend. It's in their court. It's up to them."
Source: The Hill - News
