What would it take for lawmakers to reopen the government?
Millions of Americans face economic uncertainty as the government shuts down, leaving essential services stranded.
WASHINGTON – A month into the federal government shutdown, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are each asking Congress to approve a “clean” Republican-backed funding bill to reopen the government.
The Oct. 30 statement from the nation’s four largest airlines was released on the same day as a White House meeting between airline industry leaders and Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
“It’s been 30 days, and I think it’s time to pass a clean CR,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters after the meeting, adding that Congress should negotiate on other policy items, such as health care, after the shutdown ends.
The airlines’ support could increase pressure on Senate Democrats, who have voted 13 times to block Republican-backed government funding resolutions that would push health policy changes.
Vance and Duffy warned that the situation at airports could become “disastrous” if the government continues to close them ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, as staffing shortages could occur at a time when there is typically a national surge in travel.
“What if the security lines were four hours long instead of one hour long?” Vance told reporters after the meeting. “What happens if the pilots stop coming to work?”
Delta Air Lines said in a statement that it “urges Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen government” to ensure that air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration employees and other federal employees working in the airline industry are paid.
About 64,000 TSA employees and 13,000 air traffic controllers (considered “essential” workers) are working without pay during the shutdown. TSA employees did not receive their first full paycheck on Oct. 24, while air traffic controllers did not receive their first full paycheck on Tuesday. If the shutdown is still in place, they will not receive their second paycheck in November.
“The quickest way to end this shutdown and get these workers paid is to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR),” American Airlines said in a statement. “The longer the shutdown lasts, the more delays and cancellations we will see. Americans need better treatment, especially during the busy holiday season.”
Southwest Airlines called on Congress to “immediately resolve the impasse and resume normal government operations.”
“The public expects and has the right to travel in a system that pays air traffic controllers and federal security personnel in a timely manner,” the company said. “We call on Congress to adopt a clean continuing resolution.”
The airlines are taking a stand in the grounding fight, a week after four pilot unions also called on Congress to end the stalemate by passing a Republican-backed continuing resolution.
The Federation of Airline Pilot Associations, the NetJets Passport Pilots Association, the Allied Pilots Association and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association each issued separate statements calling on Congress to pass a “clean” continuing resolution to reopen the government.
The Airline Pilots Association, the largest pilots union with about 80,000 members, called on lawmakers in an Oct. 15 statement to find a solution to restarting government, but did not say what legislation Congress should pass.
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
