A Democratic lawmaker is backing the Trump administration’s decision to reduce air traffic as a consequence of the ongoing government shutdown.
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said, ‘Safety must always be the highest priority’ for the aviation industry in a statement on Thursday evening.
‘The decision by Secretary Duffy to reduce flights at America’s 40 busiest airports is the right call for the safety of the flying public,’ Stanton wrote on X. ‘Now it’s critical that Republicans and Democrats get together and reach a bipartisan agreement on a plan to reduce health costs and end the shutdown.’
He concluded, ‘Arizona deserves better, and so do the hardworking professionals who keep our skies safe.’
Friday marks the 38th day of the government shutdown. Bipartisan Senate efforts to end the standoff have still not produced a clear off-ramp.
Thousands of federal employees have been furloughed as agencies and critical programs run low on funds, while government workers deemed ‘essential’ have been forced to work without pay for weeks.
People in the latter group include air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, many of whom have been forced to take second jobs and call out sick to make ends meet.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directed a 4% reduction in air traffic across 40 of the busiest airports in the U.S., taking effect on Friday.
That reduction will gradually ramp up to 10% by Nov. 14 if the shutdown does not end by then.
An emergency order issued by the FAA said the reduction would ensure the National Airspace System could ‘maintain the highest standards of safety’ amid shortages fueled by the shutdown.
That includes Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the largest airport serving Stanton’s district.
Stanton’s nearby 4th Congressional District encompasses parts of Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs, including portions of Tempe and Mesa.
Back in Washington, whose two main airports are also affected by the reduction order, Democratic leaders are still publicly insisting that any funding deal be paired with an extension of COVID-19-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year.
Republicans have argued against partisan policy riders in a funding bill to end the shutdown.
Stanton was among the House Democrats who voted against the GOP’s funding proposal when it passed the House on Sept. 19.