The flight disruptions during the record government shutdown that ended last week inspired a rare act of bipartisanship in Washington on Tuesday, when congressional representatives from both parties introduced legislation that would allow air traffic controllers to get paid during future shutdowns.
The bill proposes funding salaries, operating expenses and other Federal Aviation Administration programs by tapping into a little-used flight insurance fund that was created after the Sept. 11 attacks and currently has $2.6 billion dollars sitting in it. The bill’s sponsors, which include four of the top Republicans and Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, hope that relying on the fund might make their bill more attractive than other proposals because it would limit the potential cost of dolling out paychecks.
GOP Rep. Sam Graves, chairman of the committee, stated that the bill would help keep the traveling public safe during future shutdowns. The other sponsors include Democrats Rick Larsen and Andre Carson along with Republican Troy Nehls, who leads the aviation subcommittee.
“We all saw that the system can be vulnerable when Congress can’t get its job done,” Graves said. “This bill guarantees that controllers, who have one of the most high-pressure jobs in the nation, will get paid during any future funding lapses and that air traffic control, aviation safety, and the traveling public will never again be negatively impacted by shutdowns.”
The introduction of this bill comes ahead of a scheduled hearing Wednesday by a Senate subcommittee to examine the impacts of the 43-day shutdown on aviation.
However, uncertainty looms over whether this bill—like many other proposals since the 2019 shutdown—will receive approval before the next funding deadline at the end of January.
Historically, legislators have proposed several fixes to ensure air traffic controllers are compensated during shutdowns, with many gaining bipartisan support but failing to pass. One recurring proposal, the Aviation Funding Stability Act, aims to allow the FAA to utilize the Airport and Airway Trust Fund but has been met with financial constraints.
This new legislation introduces a provision to cease financial support from the insurance fund if it drops below $1 billion while estimating sufficient funds to sustain the FAA's operations for four to six weeks.
Amid existing shortages, air traffic controllers performed their duties without pay during the recent shutdown, causing significant delays due to an increase in absenteeism linked to financial pressures.
The bill presents a potential turning point in ensuring operational stability amidst political uncertainty, directly addressing the critical role that air traffic controllers play in aviation safety.
