Duffy threatens to fire air traffic controllers who skip work during shutdown
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday said he would fire air traffic controllers who are skipping work because of the government shutdown.
“If we have a continual small subset of controllers that don’t show up to work … they’re the problem children,” Duffy said, according to CNN.
“We need more controllers, but we need the best and the brightest, the dedicated controllers, and if we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go,” he added.
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Duffy said those who are calling out of work are responsible for “massive disruptions.” Absences have accounted for more than half of the current delays at airports across the country, the Transportation secretary said, per CNN.
“I think what’s happening here, 90 percent of the controllers, they show up, they come to work, but 10 percent of them are lashing out,” Duffy said.
Shortages at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, Denver International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey caused delays Monday amid the federal shutdown.
At one point, for nearly six hours, Hollywood Burbank Airport, near Los Angeles, had no controllers on duty.
Democrats have blamed Republicans for the shutdown, and GOP lawmakers have pointed the finger at their counterparts.
“Thanks @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. today because of YOUR government shutdown,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said on the social platform X on Monday at 3:43 p.m. PDT.
In an effort to keep air traffic controllers motivated, Duffy ordered pizza for workers in New Jersey and urged elected officials to solve the stalemate in Washington.
The government shutdown was again prolonged when Senate Democrats refused to vote in favor of a stopgap bill that would fund the government until Nov. 21.
Democrats have pushed for the extension of Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
“Your Democrat friends shut down the government because they want to make Americans pay the health care for illegals,” Duffy said earlier in the week. “And no state has more illegals than California!”
However, Democrats have rejected those claims.
“This entire shutdown is based on a ridiculous Republican lie,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday.
“Speaker Johnson and Vice President Vance have pulled this out of their hats. They’re saying that the undocumented will be eligible for this, a flat-out lie to weaponize the immigration issue in this critical crossroad and debate,” he added.